loosen up

verb

loosened up; loosening up; loosens up

intransitive verb

: to become less tense : relax

Examples of loosen up in a Sentence

hoped that adding a second lane would loosen up traffic on that street a high-pressure job that makes it hard for him to loosen up even on weekends
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Consumption of the classic is growing, and the project even manages to return to multiple rankings in the U.K. simultaneously as Record Store Day releases vanish and the weekly lists loosen up a bit. Hugh McIntyre, Forbes.com, 29 Apr. 2025 Investors have loosened up and are deservedly enjoying the resounding six-week market comeback — which takes them ever closer to the hard-to-discern line between harmless fun and reckless indulgence. Michael Santoli, CNBC, 17 May 2025 For the first time this series, the Avalanche were scrambling, loosening up offensively, which invariably loosened things up defensively. Mark Lazerus, New York Times, 29 Apr. 2025 With Craig Kimbrel, Héctor Neris and James McCann in the minors getting loosened up after late signings, Atlanta’s out for blood this year. Ken Rosenthal, The Athletic, 25 Mar. 2025 See All Example Sentences for loosen up

Word History

First Known Use

1922, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of loosen up was in 1922

Cite this Entry

“Loosen up.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/loosen%20up. Accessed 28 Jun. 2025.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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