break loose
Slip the leash
To break loose is to escape from restraint or confinement: The dog broke loose from its chain.
It also describes something suddenly intensifying or erupting: All hell broke loose when the news came out.
The phrase suggests forceful liberation—breaking free rather than slipping away quietly.
- get awayTo flee or depart
- unshackleRemove bonds from
- shake offRemove by vigorous motion
- escapeFlight from captivity
- burst outSuddenly express emotion
emancipate · set free · bolt · run away · make a run for it · slip · extricate · flee · evade · elude · liberate · take flight · defy · fly · transcend · release · rampage · catharsis