loose ends

loose ends

The aspects of something that are unresolved or unfinished. I just need to tie up a few loose ends before I put the house up for sale. My thesis is almost done—the only loose ends are formatting and proofreading. I have a few loose ends I want to address before I move out West.
See also: end, loose
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms.

*some loose ends

Fig. some things that are not yet finished; some problems not yet solved. (*Typically: are ~; have ~; leave~; tie ~ up; take care of ~.) I have to stay in town this weekend and tie up some loose ends.
See also: end, loose
McGraw-Hill Dictionary of American Idioms and Phrasal Verbs.

loose ends

Unfinished details, incomplete business. For example, We've not quite finished the project; there are still some loose ends. This expression alludes to the ends of a rope or cable that should be fastened. [Mid-1800s] Also see at loose ends.
See also: end, loose
The American Heritage® Dictionary of Idioms by Christine Ammer.

loose ends

COMMON If there are loose ends in a piece of work, there are small details or parts of it that have not been finished or dealt with yet. We have to make certain that as we move on to the next stage there are no loose ends. Note: People often talk about tying up loose ends to mean dealing with these details. There are still a few loose ends on the project to be tied up. Compare with at loose ends. Note: This expression may refer to the ropes on a sailing ship. The ends of the ropes had to be tightly bound to stop them fraying, and sailors were often given this job to do when there was nothing more urgent to be done.
See also: end, loose
Collins COBUILD Idioms Dictionary, 3rd ed.

the loose ˈends/ˈthreads

the minor details of something which have still not been dealt with or explained: We’ve almost finished the report. There are just a few loose ends to tie up and then it’ll be ready. It’s a very unsatisfactory detective story. You know who committed the murder, but there are far too many loose ends.
A loose end/thread is the end of a piece of string or thread that is not tied to anything else.
See also: end, loose, thread
Farlex Partner Idioms Dictionary
See also:
  • some loose ends
  • the loose ends/threads
  • at loose ends
  • tighten the reins
  • pull in the reins
  • rough out
  • let loose of
  • let loose of (someone or something)
  • give up on (someone or something)
  • work over
References in periodicals archive
Akers swiftly replied on the same day, telling the police he was just tying up some loose ends.
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Dyeing Up Loose Ends Maggie Sefton Berkley Prime Crime c/o Penguin Group (USA) 375 Hudson Street, New York, NY 10014 www.penguin.com 9780425282540 $26.00 www.amazon.com
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'I promise that we, as women parliamentarians, will go to any extent to ensure that any loose ends within our legal frameworks are tied, implementation of legal frameworks and access to justice is guaranteed as a corporate responsibility, and that our basic social, cultural and religious values are restored,' she added.
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The last episode seemed to be a tie up of some loose ends. Undoubtedly the audience wanted a very powerful ending which the script definitely required.
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The Fall BBC Two, 9pm So, the final episode of the series is upon us at last - but will it end with serial killer Paul Spector safely behind bars and all loose ends neatly tied up?
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On the same bill will be UK soul act Loose Ends, who had a string of hits in the 1980s and 1990s, and one of the most recognisable female voices in the soul world, Gwen Dickey.
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Hanna and Aria have to close loose ends with the two people who know the truth about Ali's story - Mona and Ezra.
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Another new introduction is the loose ends and trimmings, an outsized share bucket of the best meat pieces, including a variety of house smoked pork ribs, lamb belly, chicken wings, piri piri chicken and pulled pork all glazed with Lane7's house sauce.
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