1
as in to loosen
to make less taut
you'll need to slacken the rope a bit to get it free of that post
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to slow
to cause to move or proceed at a less rapid pace
drivers need to slacken their speed as they approach the sharp curve
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of slacken
Natalia’s seething, building jealousy is the driving force of tension in a mood piece that never slackens over 95 minutes, despite the relative lightness of its plotting.
—
Nick Vivarelli, Variety, 18 Feb. 2025
The share blaming Bush slackened a bit but was still a very robust 68 percent as Republican Mitt Romney, a businessman promising to engineer an economic turnaround, started his attack on Obama’s record.
—Chris Stirewalt, The Hill, 14 Feb. 2025
Then something unforeseen happened: Public adoption, government incentives, and charging-network development all slowed, so Bentley had to slacken the pace of its transition, too.
—Brett Berk, Robb Report, 9 Feb. 2025
But in the name of fostering their legacy, the Broccoli family has kept a tight leash on the Bond films, one that will be slackened substantially when this transaction is complete.
—Maureen Lee Lenker, EW.com, 20 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for slacken
Nick Vivarelli, Variety, 18 Feb. 2025
The share blaming Bush slackened a bit but was still a very robust 68 percent as Republican Mitt Romney, a businessman promising to engineer an economic turnaround, started his attack on Obama’s record.
—Chris Stirewalt, The Hill, 14 Feb. 2025
Then something unforeseen happened: Public adoption, government incentives, and charging-network development all slowed, so Bentley had to slacken the pace of its transition, too.
—Brett Berk, Robb Report, 9 Feb. 2025
But in the name of fostering their legacy, the Broccoli family has kept a tight leash on the Bond films, one that will be slackened substantially when this transaction is complete.
—Maureen Lee Lenker, EW.com, 20 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for slacken
Recent Examples of Synonyms for slacken
Verb
-
Idaho’s 1-to-6 ratio for infants remains in place, but the ratios were loosened for all older children.—
Rachel Cohen,
Vox,
17 Apr. 2025
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Compliance Gets Hyperlocal There is a tendency when reading headlines about sweeping changes to major regulatory initiatives to look only at the top-line effects — federal regulation is loosening — and the assumption that this will make compliance less burdensome.—
Mary Foley,
Forbes.com,
17 Apr. 2025
Verb
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Limited access to nursing care can increase hospital deaths, infections and readmissions, reduce early detection of health issues, and slow the response to life-threatening conditions such as stroke, sepsis and cardiac arrest.—
Kymberlee Montgomery,
The Conversation,
14 Apr. 2025
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Singh and her collaborators estimated that improvements to modifiable risk factors could prevent or slow at least 60 percent of strokes, 40 percent of dementia cases, and 35 percent of late-life depression cases.—
Emily Kay Votruba,
EverydayHealth.com,
14 Apr. 2025
Verb
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Super Cruise will essentially drive the car for you on highways – that includes acceleration, braking, and steering as well as passing slower cars and changing lanes.—
Brooke Crothers,
Forbes,
23 Mar. 2025
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Because of Sampson’s size, the harness didn’t lock properly and he was ejected from his seat when the ride braked, authorities said.—
Mike Schneider,
Orlando Sentinel,
20 Mar. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Slacken.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/slacken. Accessed 26 Apr. 2025.
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