English Reference
Idiom idiom

loose ends


Leftover items that have not been addressed or attended to.

Meaning adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.


SIMPLE

“I need to tie up a few loose ends before I leave.”

CONTEXTUAL

“Before starting his new job, he spent the weekend finishing the loose ends on his current project.”

COMPLEX

“After the merger was finalized, the legal team remained in the office for days to resolve the final loose ends of the contract.”


Related idioms8entries
  1. 01

    all bedlam breaks loose

    The situation becomes chaotic or characterized by conflict or rage.

  2. 02

    all ends up

    Completely; totally.

  3. 03

    all hell breaks loose

    The situation becomes chaotic or characterized by conflict or rage.

  4. 04

    arse end of nowhere

    A very remote place.

  5. 05

    big end of town

    The top end of town.

  6. 06

    bitter end

    The end of a long and difficult process.

  7. 07

    burn the candle at both ends

    To work hard night and day; to sleep late and wake up early; to overwork or overexert oneself.

  8. 08

    business end

    The part of an object (chiefly a tool or weapon) that is physically used for its operation, rather than some other part such as the part by which it is held.

Last updated August 10, 2026