1
as in loose
not bound, confined, or detained by force
after having been chained for so long, the suddenly footloose dog ran helter-skelter about the yard
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in freewheeling
not held back by rules, duties, or worries
wished I could be as carefree as that footloose toddler
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Recent Examples of footloose
Of all the world’s footloose international students, 15 percent come to the United States, the largest share of any country in the world.
—
David G. Victor, Foreign Affairs, 28 May 2025
Defiant and determined to get back home on his own to his mother and grandfather Gerald (Paul Weller) in East London, George encounters real danger as a distraught Rita tries to find her footloose son.
—Georg Szalai, The Hollywood Reporter, 9 Oct. 2024
The footloose couple performed on the opening night of the Symphony of Dance tour in Melbourne, Fl.
—Lester Fabian Brathwaite, EW.com, 17 Apr. 2024
Huppert plays a footloose and intense French woman at large in Korea and vaguely making ends meet as an untrained language tutor with eccentric methods.
—Patrick Frater, Variety, 19 Feb. 2024
See All Example Sentences for footloose
David G. Victor, Foreign Affairs, 28 May 2025
Defiant and determined to get back home on his own to his mother and grandfather Gerald (Paul Weller) in East London, George encounters real danger as a distraught Rita tries to find her footloose son.
—Georg Szalai, The Hollywood Reporter, 9 Oct. 2024
The footloose couple performed on the opening night of the Symphony of Dance tour in Melbourne, Fl.
—Lester Fabian Brathwaite, EW.com, 17 Apr. 2024
Huppert plays a footloose and intense French woman at large in Korea and vaguely making ends meet as an untrained language tutor with eccentric methods.
—Patrick Frater, Variety, 19 Feb. 2024
See All Example Sentences for footloose
Recent Examples of Synonyms for footloose
Adjective
-
Secure loose outdoor items and adjust plans as necessary so you're not caught outside.—
CA Weather Bot,
Sacbee.com,
1 May 2026
-
Layer loose ice on top, with a splash of bourbon to settle the drink.—
Kelly McCarthy,
ABC News,
1 May 2026
Adjective
-
The silent generation thought boomers were too freewheeling.—
Harvard Business Review,
Harvard Business Review,
30 Dec. 2025
-
Todd Snider, the freewheeling American artist known for his sharp wit and decades of genre-blending songwriting, has died.—
Stephanie Giang-Paunon,
FOXNews.com,
15 Nov. 2025
Adjective
-
Meanwhile, Ella was explaining to my mother why the teacher had sent a note home with her and recounting how her friend Stacy had played kitchen with a new girl during free time at school and allowed Ella to join them only for the cleanup part.—
Chang-rae Lee,
New Yorker,
3 May 2026
-
Rafaelle lost her mark for a third time in the 56th minute, allowing Martinez to break free.—
Kyle Foley,
The Orlando Sentinel,
3 May 2026
Adjective
-
Nick Jonas has a casual yet stylish vibe in a leather jacket, hoodie and baseball cap in New York City on April 23.—
Toria Sheffield,
PEOPLE,
27 Apr. 2026
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Wetjen was out at Stone Creek Golf Club near Iowa’s campus, playing a casual round with his girlfriend, Rachel Bierman, and friends when the moment hit.—
Amber Harding OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
27 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Valadao’s campaign says the votes show the congressman is an independent thinker, unbound by partisan ideology.—
David Lightman,
Sacbee.com,
15 Jan. 2026
-
Tiwa Savage has stepped into her era of emotional depth—unbound and unbothered.—
Essence,
Essence,
4 Dec. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Footloose.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/footloose. Accessed 3 May. 2026.
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