as in facilitating
to free from obstruction or difficulty
hoped that adding a second lane would loosen up traffic on that street
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in relaxing
to get rid of nervous tension or anxiety
a high-pressure job that makes it hard for him to loosen up even on weekends
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of loosening (up)
Max Zahn, ABC News, 10 Apr. 2026
Dulude suggests loosening up the food particles on the microwave walls by placing a bowl of water inside with half a lemon and using a high setting to boil the water.
—Lori Keong, Architectural Digest, 2 Apr. 2026
Men, once largely confined to safe tuxedos, began loosening up.
—Merle Ginsberg, HollywoodReporter, 18 Mar. 2026
Inventory loosening up One sign the housing market is loosening is an increasing ratio of sellers to buyers.
—Mary Cunningham, CBS News, 6 Mar. 2026
Part of that is loosening up streamers’ bids for lengthy contract terms on series, potentially in exchange for less money.
—K.j. Yossman, Variety, 13 Oct. 2025
Verb
After the ceasefire, oil prices plunged and bond yields fell, loosening up some of the cost crunch for consumers and businesses alike.
—Max Zahn, ABC News, 10 Apr. 2026
Dulude suggests loosening up the food particles on the microwave walls by placing a bowl of water inside with half a lemon and using a high setting to boil the water.
—Lori Keong, Architectural Digest, 2 Apr. 2026
Men, once largely confined to safe tuxedos, began loosening up.
—Merle Ginsberg, HollywoodReporter, 18 Mar. 2026
Inventory loosening up One sign the housing market is loosening is an increasing ratio of sellers to buyers.
—Mary Cunningham, CBS News, 6 Mar. 2026
Part of that is loosening up streamers’ bids for lengthy contract terms on series, potentially in exchange for less money.
—K.j. Yossman, Variety, 13 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for loosening (up)
Verb
-
The report places some of the blame on social media platforms and e-commerce websites for facilitating counterfeit sales through influencer promotion and links to fake websites.—
Michael McCann,
Sportico.com,
14 May 2026
-
Malaysia’s maritime agency says the transfers happen beyond its territorial waters and radar coverage, complicating enforcement efforts, while critics argue the nation is facilitating rather than merely tolerating the trade.—
Eileen Ng,
Los Angeles Times,
13 May 2026
Verb
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Your visit can be a camping or glamping trip or a relaxing resort vacation.—
Patricia Doherty,
Travel + Leisure,
24 May 2026
-
The experience is relaxing yet addictive.—
Jason Bennett,
Arkansas Online,
24 May 2026
Verb
-
The campaign By the time Simpson’s case ended in 2005, DirecTV’s mass lawsuit campaign was already winding down.—
ArsTechnica,
ArsTechnica,
22 May 2026
-
The safest approach is to wait until the interview is winding down or the AI agent explicitly invites you to ask questions.—
Caroline Castrillon,
Forbes.com,
22 May 2026
Verb
-
What had seemed like a good way of chilling out was actually plunging me into a kind of crisis.—
Tim Parks,
New Yorker,
11 Apr. 2026
-
If holiday burnout has you in the mood for rest and relaxation, the star advises taking a break to enjoy one of her favorite holiday traditions—chilling out at home with the family.—
Essence,
Essence,
15 Dec. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Loosening (up).” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/loosening%20%28up%29. Accessed 27 May. 2026.
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