lone wolves

Noun

lone wolf (plural lone wolves)

1. A wolf that is not part of a pack.
   • They knew what it meant; even Joan had heard the cry of the lone wolf hunting in the lean time of winter, and of all things sad, all things lonely, all things demoniacal, the howl of a wolf stands alone.1921, Max Brand [pseudonym; Frederick Schiller Faust], “Equal Payment”, in The Seventh Man, New York, N.Y.; London: G[eorge] P[almer] Putnam’s Sons; The Knickerbocker Press, →OCLC, page 100
2. (figuratively) A person who avoids the company of others; an independent or solitary person; a loner.
   • Don't be a lone wolf. Publish your results; take the world—take the nation at least—into your confidence.1897, H[erbert] G[eorge] Wells, “The Plan that Failed”, in The Invisible Man: A Grotesque Romance, New York, N.Y.; London: Harper & Brothers Publishers, →OCLC, page 231
3. (figuratively, crime) A criminal who acts alone, not as part of a group.
   • [Stephen] Paddock's motives remain unclear. Las Vegas Sheriff Joe Lombardo described the shooting as a "lone wolf" attack. "We have no idea what his belief system was," he said.2017 October 3, “Las Vegas shooting: At least 58 dead at Mandalay Bay Hotel”, in BBC News, archived from the original on 15 Jul 2025

See all 4 meanings of lone wolf