loose

cut loose

1 distance yourself from a person, group, or system by which you are unduly influenced or on which you are over-dependent.

2 begin to act without restraint. informal

❶ 1993 Isidore OkpewhoTides When the time comes that I feel my friends are not sufficiently behind me in what I'm trying to do, I'm going to cut loose from them.

hang (or stay) loose be relaxed; refrain from taking anything too seriously. informal

have a screw loose: seescrew.

a loose cannon a unpredictable person or thing likely to cause unintentional damage.

☞ A loose cannon was originally a cannon that had broken loose from its fastening or mounting, an accident especially dangerous on wooden ships of war.