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
Wall Street will be focusing on whether Nvidia’s 2024 Blackwell production bottlenecks are loosening, whether cloud services providers will keep spending more on data centers — in light of DeepSeek’s success with cheaper chips, and the impact of Trump’s tariffs on Nvidia’s outlook.
—
Peter Cohan, Forbes, 25 Feb. 2025
While not quite radical transparency, the update did loosen the rigid strictures that have surrounded top-tier franchises for the last 20 years.
—Adam B. Vary, Variety, 24 Feb. 2025
Yes, but: Although most changes loosen limits on city noise, some restrictions are also in the works, including:
Compression engine brakes would be banned citywide.
—Alayna Alvarez, Axios, 24 Feb. 2025
Over the last five years, several states have loosened vaccination restrictions for school-age children, allowing more families to opt out of routine childhood vaccinations.
—Claire Bugos, Verywell Health, 20 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for loosen
Peter Cohan, Forbes, 25 Feb. 2025
While not quite radical transparency, the update did loosen the rigid strictures that have surrounded top-tier franchises for the last 20 years.
—Adam B. Vary, Variety, 24 Feb. 2025
Yes, but: Although most changes loosen limits on city noise, some restrictions are also in the works, including:
Compression engine brakes would be banned citywide.
—Alayna Alvarez, Axios, 24 Feb. 2025
Over the last five years, several states have loosened vaccination restrictions for school-age children, allowing more families to opt out of routine childhood vaccinations.
—Claire Bugos, Verywell Health, 20 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for loosen
Recent Examples of Synonyms for loosen
Verb
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There was a flurry of reports earlier this month that U.S. officials had asked Romania to relax travel restrictions against the brothers, who have been in and out of house arrest.—
Jake Kanter,
Deadline,
27 Feb. 2025
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The free form pool complex is a great place to escape and relax, with multiple private areas, and it’s hardly ever crowded since there are so few rooms—and each has its own pool as well.—
Larry Olmsted,
Forbes,
27 Feb. 2025
Verb
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Common Sense Media has released a new report that looks at the 2024 media use of children ages 0 to 8, pointing to some of the challenges faced by those educating this generation.—
Peter Greene,
Forbes,
27 Feb. 2025
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The New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association (NJSIAA) released a statement regarding Knox, explaining their decision to disqualify him from the state tournament.—
Scott Thompson,
Fox News,
27 Feb. 2025
Verb
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Policymakers rushed to unleash a flurry of stimulus measures last September when the economy was at risk of missing the government’s target of around 5%.—
Anniek Bao,
CNBC,
6 Mar. 2025
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Trump has vowed to unleash more American energy by rolling back many Biden-era regulations.—
William Melhado,
Sacramento Bee,
6 Mar. 2025
Verb
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If there is a way for Germany to quickly ease its debt constraints that would be a positive.—
Mike O'Sullivan,
Forbes,
27 Feb. 2025
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This medication is used for many conditions that cause swelling in the body and can ease multiple ailments.—
BestReviews,
Chicago Tribune,
26 Feb. 2025
Verb
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The Dolphins’ two options would be releasing him (which wouldn’t free up significant cap space until after June 1) or keeping him but with terms of the contract adjusted to save Miami money and cap space.—
Barry Jackson,
Miami Herald,
4 Mar. 2025
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The inmates took over, killing guards and freeing everyone; Trent helped himself to a dead guard’s uniform, radio and weapon (as well as the knife sticking out of his chest), and used it to pose as a law-enforcement official helping manage the chaos as people flocked to Paradise in their cars.—
Kimberly Roots,
TVLine,
4 Mar. 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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Chappy, the gray baby seal that was rescued from downtown New Haven, Conn., has died due to gastrointestinal issues.—
Brittney Melton,
NPR,
5 Mar. 2025
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Greta and Szymon After being rescued, Greta's husband—a.k.a.—
Isabella Wandermurem,
TIME,
5 Mar. 2025
Articles Related to loosen
Cite this Entry
“Loosen.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/loosen. Accessed 12 Mar. 2025.
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