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
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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
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Examples Sentences
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Recent Examples of loosen
Unlike physical exfoliants, these work by loosening the bonds between your dead skin cells, so they can gently be peeled away.
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Jenna Ryu, SELF, 9 Jan. 2025
Dean and John Spanos loosened their firm grip on power and money enough to hire coach Jim Harbaugh away from the University of Michigan.
—Tom Krasovic, San Diego Union-Tribune, 4 Jan. 2025
Here’s what to know about bird flu as farms fight outbreaks in California
How a duty to spend wisely on worker benefits could loosen PBMs’ grip on drug prices
As Bay Area residents counted down the seconds until the new year, the region’s first baby made her way into the world.
—Grace Hase, The Mercury News, 2 Jan. 2025
Several states have updated their child labor laws in recent years, with some Republican-leaning states moving to loosen these policies.
—Paul Du Quenoy, Newsweek, 1 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for loosen 
Jenna Ryu, SELF, 9 Jan. 2025
Dean and John Spanos loosened their firm grip on power and money enough to hire coach Jim Harbaugh away from the University of Michigan.
—Tom Krasovic, San Diego Union-Tribune, 4 Jan. 2025
Here’s what to know about bird flu as farms fight outbreaks in California
How a duty to spend wisely on worker benefits could loosen PBMs’ grip on drug prices
As Bay Area residents counted down the seconds until the new year, the region’s first baby made her way into the world.
—Grace Hase, The Mercury News, 2 Jan. 2025
Several states have updated their child labor laws in recent years, with some Republican-leaning states moving to loosen these policies.
—Paul Du Quenoy, Newsweek, 1 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for loosen
Recent Examples of Synonyms for loosen
Verb
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Finding a way to relax and take your mind off football can be challenging, but Colwill uses Lego to unwind.The Athletic UK Staff, The Athletic, 10 Jan. 2025
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These spaces can also serve as areas for decompression during high-stress periods or simply as a quiet place to relax.Shaun Arora, Forbes, 10 Jan. 2025
Verb
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One has since been released from custody, and the other was returned to jail.Keri Blakinger, Los Angeles Times, 11 Jan. 2025
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Over the coming months, Grads of Life will be releasing a series of resources for employers navigating the shift to skills-first — so here’s an initial preview: Defining the Change: Start by clearly articulating the rationale behind the shift to skills-first.Ebony D. Thomas, Forbes, 10 Jan. 2025
Verb
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But before the volcano unleashed its torrent of rock, ash and toxic gases, Pompeii was just another Roman town on the coast of the Mediterranean.Sarah Kuta, Smithsonian Magazine, 17 Jan. 2025
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Across culture, technology, leadership, and innovation, the continent confounded expectations, forged new paths and unleashed its boundless potential onto the world stage.Stephanie Busari and Ifeanyi Abraham, Essence, 17 Jan. 2025
Verb
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The robust jobs report may also ease pressure on the Fed to continue to cut rates, given the Fed Chair Jerome Powell had cited some earlier signs of weakness in the labor market as one reason why the central bank began cutting rates in September.Aimee Picchi, CBS News, 10 Jan. 2025
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Friday’s jobs report showed that hiring continued at a healthy pace, dampening expectations of the Fed needing to ease pressure on the economy by cutting rates again in the near future.Joe Rennison, New York Times, 10 Jan. 2025
Verb
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If half of your life is intolerable, simply free yourself from it.Nina Metz, Chicago Tribune, 16 Jan. 2025
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No hostages have been freed yet, and the cease-fire doesn’t start until Sunday, so all reports so far remain speculative and optimistic.Graeme Wood, The Atlantic, 16 Jan. 2025
Verb
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Unlike technology companies that work to ensnare (and monetize) our attention, Foreman entrapped our bodies only to liberate our minds.Charles McNulty, Los Angeles Times, 7 Jan. 2025
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With the help of Trinity (Carrie-Anne Moss), Morpheus (Lawrence Fishburne) and a band of survivors who have managed to escape the program, Neo must liberate humanity from an army of robots who are using them as organic batteries.Kevin Lynn, Newsweek, 7 Jan. 2025
Verb
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Brown has previously been candid about working hard to loose some weight.Charlotte Phillipp, People.com, 13 Dec. 2024
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People will need to do less and less in the future to loose a torrent of data about themselves and their ongoing activities onto the Web.John Rennie, IEEE Spectrum, 31 May 2011
Verb
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Thousands of them, on average 17 a day, die without having had the opportunity to be rescued.Allan Chernoff, Hartford Courant, 16 Jan. 2025
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These can be necessary when a person is stranded after evacuation and must wait to be rescued.Carolyn Rosenblatt, Forbes, 16 Jan. 2025
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Cite this Entry
“Loosen.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/loosen. Accessed 21 Jan. 2025.
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