at loose ends
idiom
US
: not knowing what to do : not having anything in particular to do
With everyone on vacation she was at loose ends.
Drop by if you find yourself at loose ends this weekend.
Examples of at loose ends in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Asher, eighty-three and semi-retired, is himself at loose ends.
—
Laura Miller, The New Yorker, 16 Sep. 2024
While a few extra characters are left at loose ends and therefore feel extraneous, those aren’t necessary for the communication of the central ideas of class warfare and hypocrisy.
—Katie Walsh, Los Angeles Times, 31 July 2024
Twenty-three years later, Sarah Hanover was at loose ends.
—Heidi Blake, The New Yorker, 29 July 2024
The two women, both at loose ends, embark on a secret, sadomasochistic relationship.
—The New Yorker, 22 July 2024
See all Example Sentences for at loose ends 
Laura Miller, The New Yorker, 16 Sep. 2024
While a few extra characters are left at loose ends and therefore feel extraneous, those aren’t necessary for the communication of the central ideas of class warfare and hypocrisy.
—Katie Walsh, Los Angeles Times, 31 July 2024
Twenty-three years later, Sarah Hanover was at loose ends.
—Heidi Blake, The New Yorker, 29 July 2024
The two women, both at loose ends, embark on a secret, sadomasochistic relationship.
—The New Yorker, 22 July 2024
See all Example Sentences for at loose ends
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'at loose ends.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near at loose ends
Cite this Entry
“At loose ends.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/at%20loose%20ends. Accessed 5 Nov. 2024.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share