loosened; loosening
ˈlü-sᵊn-iŋ 
ˈlüs-niŋ
1
: to release from restraint
2
: to make looser
loosened his tie
loosen a screw
3
: to relieve (the bowels) of constipation
4
: to cause or permit to become less strict
—often used with up
loosened the rules
: to become loose or looser
Examples of loosen in a Sentence
He used a spade to loosen the soil.
She loosened the cake from the sides of the pan.
After eating so much I had to loosen my belt.
When the meeting was over he loosened his tie.
One of the screws had loosened a bit and had to be tightened.
Each generation seems to loosen the established standards of behavior.
Standards of behavior seem to be loosening everywhere.
Recent Examples on the Web
As Trump asserts his powers ahead of his inauguration, Speaker Mike Johnson’s (R-La.) grip on his conference is loosening.
—
Alexis Simendinger, The Hill, 24 Dec. 2024
Google’s proposal counters last month’s call from the US Justice Department for Google to not only loosen its grip over partners, but also share more data with competitors and divest its Chrome browser business.
—Paresh Dave, WIRED, 21 Dec. 2024
As a result, Tokyo has begun to loosen some of its foreign labor laws, expanding the number of job categories eligible for medium- and long-term visas, and even offering taxi driver license exams in multiple languages.
—Dan Perry, Newsweek, 18 Dec. 2024
Nissan has loosened ties with France’s Renault SA and Honda has backed away from General Motors Co.
The move toward a merger would follow a decision by the two companies earlier this year to work together on electric vehicle batteries and software.
—Bloomberg, The Mercury News, 18 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for loosen 
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Alexis Simendinger, The Hill, 24 Dec. 2024
Google’s proposal counters last month’s call from the US Justice Department for Google to not only loosen its grip over partners, but also share more data with competitors and divest its Chrome browser business.
—Paresh Dave, WIRED, 21 Dec. 2024
As a result, Tokyo has begun to loosen some of its foreign labor laws, expanding the number of job categories eligible for medium- and long-term visas, and even offering taxi driver license exams in multiple languages.
—Dan Perry, Newsweek, 18 Dec. 2024
Nissan has loosened ties with France’s Renault SA and Honda has backed away from General Motors Co.
The move toward a merger would follow a decision by the two companies earlier this year to work together on electric vehicle batteries and software.
—Bloomberg, The Mercury News, 18 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for loosen
Articles Related to loosen
Dictionary Entries Near loosen
Cite this Entry
“Loosen.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/loosen. Accessed 30 Dec. 2024.
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