1
as in to relax
to make less taut
the lead climber loosened the climbing rope so that the other climber could have more room to maneuver
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to release
to set free (as from slavery or confinement)
the dog ran after the squirrel after he was loosened from the post
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in to unleash
to set free (from a state of being held in check)
once he got to know us better, his inhibitions loosened a bit
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of loosen
Financial ties loosen The financial structure of the partnership has also changed.
—
Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 27 Apr. 2026
Adding a little bit of milk or stock helps to loosen the sauce slightly and keeps the dish from drying out when held warm on a buffet.
—Erin Merhar, Southern Living, 26 Apr. 2026
As crises have accumulated in the decade since, the hoodie’s tight connection to anti-Black violence seems to have loosened.
—Dawn Chan, The New York Review of Books, 25 Apr. 2026
Towing a trailer is a common one, Roise said, when towing chains loosen and drag on the ground.
—Jeanine Santucci, USA Today, 25 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for loosen
Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 27 Apr. 2026
Adding a little bit of milk or stock helps to loosen the sauce slightly and keeps the dish from drying out when held warm on a buffet.
—Erin Merhar, Southern Living, 26 Apr. 2026
As crises have accumulated in the decade since, the hoodie’s tight connection to anti-Black violence seems to have loosened.
—Dawn Chan, The New York Review of Books, 25 Apr. 2026
Towing a trailer is a common one, Roise said, when towing chains loosen and drag on the ground.
—Jeanine Santucci, USA Today, 25 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for loosen
Recent Examples of Synonyms for loosen
Verb
-
Lying Down After Eating Can Trigger Heartburn Eating a meal, then lying down to relax or doze off, may seem harmless, but doing so can contribute to reflux or heartburn symptoms.—
Karen Berger,
Verywell Health,
1 May 2026
-
One option your provider may discuss is GEMTESA (vibegron), a prescription treatment that works by relaxing the bladder muscle.—
Lauryn Higgins,
Flow Space,
1 May 2026
Verb
-
The group, originally signed to RCA Records, released two albums of bustling synth pop and opened for Harry Styles in the late twenty-tens but was cast off in the early days of the pandemic owing to low sales.—
Dan Stahl,
New Yorker,
1 May 2026
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Every weekday, the CNBC Investing Club with Jim Cramer releases the Homestretch — an actionable afternoon update, just in time for the last hour of trading on Wall Street.—
Zev Fima,Alexa LoMonaco,
CNBC,
1 May 2026
Verb
-
Taveras unleashed a lifeline in a high-leverage spot, late in a game and with a full count.—
Zack Meisel,
New York Times,
27 Apr. 2026
-
Israel responded with overwhelming force, unleashing a barrage of airstrikes on southern Lebanon and areas around its capital Beirut and later launching the ongoing ground invasion.—
April 27,
CBS News,
27 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Those consumers have been increasingly seeking out solutions to ease the physical process, according to Circana.—
Laya Neelakandan,
CNBC,
2 May 2026
-
Plane tickets are getting pricier After jumping to $209 a barrel in early April, the global price of jet fuel eased last week to around $179, still well above the roughly $99 at the end of February.—
Mae Anderson,
Chicago Tribune,
1 May 2026
Verb
-
The songs were radiant, ecstatic, and cleansing, a deep exhale from a band freed from boardroom expectations.—
Dan Stahl,
New Yorker,
1 May 2026
-
That sentence was later commuted to 27 years, and then by a sixth in a Myanmar New Year amnesty on April 17 that freed her ally and co-defendant Win Myint, the former president.—
CNN Money,
CNN Money,
1 May 2026
Verb
-
During the Iraq War, the popular narrative was that our heroic soldiers and marines were going in to liberate the people, free women, and topple a brutal dictator—the same nonsense we are fed now about Iran.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
28 Apr. 2026
-
That audience members, by virtue of access to a camera, keyboard, and the Internet, can capture, compile, edit, frame, and package an event as news without any regard to journalistic ethics is liberating and constraining at the same time.—
Shepherd Mpofu,
Encyclopedia Britannica,
27 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
The ClearBell colony loosing ClearBells like snowflakes into the water.—
Mandy-Suzanne Wong,
Longreads,
5 Feb. 2026
-
Co-regulating your emotions alongside your toddler can help achieve a resolution to conflict without raising your voice or loosing your temper.—
Sara Rowe Mount,
Parents,
26 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
When the building was later gutted after an earthquake, her husband, Brian Miller, even managed to rescue a piece of its history — and his wife's backstory.—
Tereza Shkurtaj,
PEOPLE,
26 Apr. 2026
-
Unlike a pig sanctuary or farm where abandoned or abused pigs live out their last days, the group is focused on rescuing, fostering and finding permanent families for pigs.—
Eric Adler
April 26,
Kansas City Star,
26 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Loosen.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/loosen. Accessed 3 May. 2026.
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