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
The wind loosened the sign on W.B. Stalley’s 5 and 10 cent store on Main Street North, the sign breaking the show window.
—
Kay Johnson, Twin Cities, 7 Feb. 2025
Microwave pepper jelly in a small microwavable bowl on HIGH until loosened, about 10 seconds.
—Giovanna Vazquez, Southern Living, 5 Feb. 2025
If Vonn’s implant does loosen, doctors can fix it, with either another partial or full knee replacement.
—Peggy Shinn, Outside Online, 31 Jan. 2025
Reheat gently on the stove, and loosen the sauce with a bit of stock or water.
—Marianne Williams, Southern Living, 31 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for loosen
Kay Johnson, Twin Cities, 7 Feb. 2025
Microwave pepper jelly in a small microwavable bowl on HIGH until loosened, about 10 seconds.
—Giovanna Vazquez, Southern Living, 5 Feb. 2025
If Vonn’s implant does loosen, doctors can fix it, with either another partial or full knee replacement.
—Peggy Shinn, Outside Online, 31 Jan. 2025
Reheat gently on the stove, and loosen the sauce with a bit of stock or water.
—Marianne Williams, Southern Living, 31 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for loosen
Recent Examples of Synonyms for loosen
Verb
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Thailand has also relaxed visa policies to attract visitors.—
Denni Hu,
WWD,
15 Feb. 2025
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Having uploaded a handful of videos showing the dog and cat relaxing and getting ready for walks, a recent clip shared on January 26 proved particularly popular, racking up almost 25,000 likes.—
Josh Hammer,
Newsweek,
14 Feb. 2025
Verb
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More than two-thirds of retirees with debt carry balances on their credit cards, according to the 2024 Spending in Retirement survey, released in November by the nonprofit Employee Benefit Research Institute, or EBRI.—
Daniel de Visé,
USA TODAY,
16 Feb. 2025
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Tesla's fourth-quarter results, released in late January, came in below analysts' estimates.—
Josh Hammer,
Newsweek,
15 Feb. 2025
Verb
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The shooting unleashed a flood of online complaints about U.S. health care.—
Alex Harring,Annika Kim Constantino,
CNBC,
21 Feb. 2025
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If this production misses some of the heartbreak of the original piece, the chaos unleashed when Serebryakov returns home with his young wife Yelena (Ito Aghayere) in tow creates a lovely sense of intimacy amid the melancholy.—
Karen D'Souza,
The Mercury News,
21 Feb. 2025
Verb
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Nearly two-thirds of employers said easing inflation, stabilizing interest rates and a steady unemployment rate should support headcount growth this year, according to a survey conducted last fall.—
Bailey Schulz,
USA TODAY,
15 Feb. 2025
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However, investors’ worries were eased as Trump held off from implementing levies immediately.—
Pia Singh,Sawdah Bhaimiya,
CNBC,
14 Feb. 2025
Verb
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For teams, this means reducing overlap, prioritizing critical tasks and freeing people to focus on high-impact work—no more second-guessing who does what and when.—
Ricky Muddimer,
Forbes,
21 Feb. 2025
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The idea is to free you up to comfortably use the car's infotainment screen, talk to co-passengers, and catch up on books or videos on long journeys and commutes.—
New Atlas,
New Atlas,
21 Feb. 2025
Verb
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Artist and rapper Mary Enoch Elizabeth Baxter, herself formerly incarcerated and commissioned to create a new work for the Rikers women, worked with Ringgold, politicians, artists, philanthropists, and corrections officers to liberate the original painting.—
Samantha Bergeson,
IndieWire,
26 Feb. 2025
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Tragically, Hunt notes, the same global commodity that may have helped liberate British women did the opposite for West Africans, who endured the Middle Passage in ever larger numbers to work as slaves in the Caribbean sugar fields and sweeten English tea.—
Marjoleine Kars,
New York Times,
19 Feb. 2025
Verb
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Even before the rains, rockslides loosed by the wildfire had tumbled onto the road.—
Trevor Hughes,
USA TODAY,
8 Feb. 2025
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Between the lines: OpenAI views Operator as the first baby steps toward loosing its AI on the world beyond ChatGPT's window.—
Megan Morrone,
Axios,
24 Jan. 2025
Verb
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The announcement comes barely two years after Amazon rescued the series from cancellation, marking a bittersweet end to the show’s 40-year legacy.—
Naman Ramachandran,
Variety,
21 Feb. 2025
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Israeli forces have rescued eight and have recovered dozens of bodies of people killed in the initial attack or who died in captivity.—
Mohammad Jahjouh,
Los Angeles Times,
20 Feb. 2025
Articles Related to loosen
Cite this Entry
“Loosen.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/loosen. Accessed 1 Mar. 2025.
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