loose ends
Matters still unresolved
Loose ends are unfinished details or unresolved matters: I need to tie up a few loose ends before we leave.
The image comes from rope or fabric—strands left dangling rather than secured.
Someone described as at loose ends is unsettled or without clear purpose, waiting for something to occupy them.
Twisted fiber strands
- frayedUnraveled at edges
- unravelingProcess of coming undone
- danglingSuspended and swaying freely
- fringesOuter edges or tassels
edges · strands · fibers · tattered · fraying · ragged · snipped · trimming
Lacking final determination
- incompleteLacking necessary parts
- pendingAwaiting resolution or decision
- outstandingExceptionally good or unpaid
- unfinishedNot yet complete
leftover · remaining · dangling · open · undone · unsettled · hanging · unattended
Persistent bothering or complaining
- worryTroubled mental state
- uneaseMild persistent worry
- uncertaintyState of being unsure
- restlessnessState of unease
preoccupation · distraction · mental clutter · niggling · bothering · weighing · haunting · gnawing
Suspenseful unresolved ending
- puzzleChallenge testing ingenuity
- secretsConcealed information
- enigmaSomething hard to fathom
- suspenseAnxious uncertainty about outcomes
unknown · ambiguous · open-ended · cryptic · unexplained · gaps
Formal decision or determination
- wrap-upConcluding summary or review
- conclusionEnd or deduction
- completionAct of finishing
- tying upSecuring with cord
finality · settlement · finale · ending · fulfillment · accomplishment · follow-through · finishing touches
threads
Twisted fiber strands
- frayedUnraveled at edges
- unravelingProcess of coming undone
- danglingSuspended and swaying freely
fringes · edges · strands · fibers · tattered · fraying · ragged · snipped · trimming · sewing
unresolved
Lacking final determination
- incompleteLacking necessary parts
- pendingAwaiting resolution or decision
- outstandingExceptionally good or unpaid
unfinished · leftover · remaining · dangling · open · undone · unsettled · hanging · unattended · neglected
nagging
Persistent bothering or complaining
- worryTroubled mental state
- uneaseMild persistent worry
- uncertaintyState of being unsure
restlessness · preoccupation · distraction · mental clutter · niggling · bothering · weighing · haunting · gnawing · unsettling
cliffhanger
Suspenseful unresolved ending
suspense · unknown · ambiguous · open-ended · cryptic · unexplained · gaps
resolution
Formal decision or determination
- wrap-upConcluding summary or review
- conclusionEnd or deduction
- completionAct of finishing
tying up · finality · settlement · finale · ending · fulfillment · accomplishment · follow-through · finishing touches · cleanup
scattered
Spread irregularly about
- messyLacking order or neatness
- chaoticTotally without arrangement
- jumbledDisordered, lacking arrangement
tangled · cluttered · haphazard · disarray · fragmented · disconnected · piecemeal · sprawling · untidy · sloppy
- Sewing Metaphorsseamless, threadbare, woven, patched up, hanging by a thread
- unfinished businessunfinished business, backlog, to-do list, rough drafts
- writing flawstypos, spelling errors, plot hole, plot holes, cliche
- clothing idiomsfit like a glove, dressed to the nines, dressed to kill, wear the pants, caught with pants down
- securingfasten, secure, lock up, latch, bolt
- stuffthings, items, objects, stuff, goods
loose endsclosure
Sense of emotional resolution
resolution · completion · finality · done deal · wrapped up
loose endsneat and tidy
Clean and organized
ship-shape · buttoned up · clean house · tight ship · clean slate
end, loose, loosen, loosened, loosening, loosing, unloose, looser, loosest