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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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of footloose
These natural attributes no longer matter as firms are attracted to cities where footloose knowledge workers congregate.
—
Ian Goldin, Fortune, 20 Sep. 2023
The result is footloose foreign capital flows out of emerging markets that are deemed riskier.
—Cristina Bodea, Fortune, 5 Aug. 2023
In step with policymakers in the Biden administration, the authors point to the need for fundamental changes in how governments tax corporate profits in a world of footloose balance sheets.
—Michael Keen and Joel Slemrod, Foreign Affairs, 24 Aug. 2021
Tip the world, and the fearful and the timid, nailed securely and drearily in place, would stay put — but the footloose and bold and adventuresome would roll into L.A. and remake themselves.
—Patt Morrison, Los Angeles Times, 11 Apr. 2023
See all Example Sentences for footloose 
Ian Goldin, Fortune, 20 Sep. 2023
The result is footloose foreign capital flows out of emerging markets that are deemed riskier.
—Cristina Bodea, Fortune, 5 Aug. 2023
In step with policymakers in the Biden administration, the authors point to the need for fundamental changes in how governments tax corporate profits in a world of footloose balance sheets.
—Michael Keen and Joel Slemrod, Foreign Affairs, 24 Aug. 2021
Tip the world, and the fearful and the timid, nailed securely and drearily in place, would stay put — but the footloose and bold and adventuresome would roll into L.A. and remake themselves.
—Patt Morrison, Los Angeles Times, 11 Apr. 2023
See all Example Sentences for footloose
Recent Examples of Synonyms for footloose
Adjective
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Eventually, Payne learned to lean into the loose, cheeky, respectfully rowdy aura One Direction cultivated during their peak years.—
Federico Fahsbender,
Rolling Stone,
11 Feb. 2025
-
Charters for hire operate under looser FAR Part 135 rules.—
Jeffrey Kluger,
TIME,
11 Feb. 2025
Adjective
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Now, China is putting its freewheeling facial recognition industry on notice.—
Washington Post,
Washington Post,
30 July 2021
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Incongruity isn’t seen as a blemish, and the lyrics tend to be more freewheeling and braggadocious.—
Sheldon Pearc,
The New Yorker,
30 June 2021
Adjective
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Get our free daily crossword puzzle, sudoku, word search and arcade games.—
Ryan Fonseca,
Los Angeles Times,
7 Feb. 2025
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Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE's free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.—
Charlotte Phillipp,
People.com,
7 Feb. 2025
Adjective
-
Chappell Roan — not one to keep it casual — is calling out former music exec Jeff Rabhan over his disillusioned February 5 op-ed in The Hollywood Reporter about her 2025 Grammys speech.—
Jason P. Frank,
Vulture,
7 Feb. 2025
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Even to a casual viewer, the waxing gibbous moon of Friday, Feb. 7 will appear unusual.—
Joe Rao,
Space.com,
7 Feb. 2025
Adjective
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Fantasmas, meanwhile, feels totally unbound by color.—
Jason P. Frank,
Vulture,
18 Dec. 2024
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But such revelry for Cuba’s outcasts, for the first time allowed to be unbound, comes at an unthinkable price.—
Carlos Aguilar,
Variety,
20 Dec. 2024
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Cite this Entry
“Footloose.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/footloose. Accessed 21 Feb. 2025.
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