How to Use loosen in a Sentence

loosen

verb
Definition of loosennext
Synonyms for loosennext
  • He used a spade to loosen the soil.
  • She loosened the cake from the sides of the pan.
  • One of the screws had loosened a bit and had to be tightened.
  • When the meeting was over he loosened his tie.
  • After eating so much I had to loosen my belt.
  • Each generation seems to loosen the established standards of behavior.
  • Standards of behavior seem to be loosening everywhere.
  • It was found that the wheels could loosen and even fall off.
    — Peter Valdes-Dapena, CNN, 16 Nov. 2022
  • Scrape the bottom of the pan to loosen drippings and browned bits.
    — People Staff, Peoplemag, 17 Nov. 2022
  • This will help loosen any grease and debris built up in the grates.
    — Kaitlyn McInnis, Better Homes & Gardens, 20 Apr. 2023
  • Add broth, scraping the bottom of the pot to loosen browned bits.
    — Felicia Campbell, The Arizona Republic, 8 Apr. 2022
  • Foam rolling helps to stretch and loosen tight muscles.
    — WIRED, 17 Nov. 2023
  • Swirl the rice gently with your hand to loosen the surface starch.
    — Aksha Mittapalli, Better Homes & Gardens, 29 July 2024
  • Salt the thighs, front and back, and then slide your finger under the skin to loosen it.
    — G. Daniela Galarza, Washington Post, 16 Feb. 2023
  • In the old days, we were taught to dig the hole the depth of the soil ball and then loosen 12 inches of soil in the bottom of the hole.
    — Paul Cappiello, The Courier-Journal, 3 Feb. 2023
  • If in a plastic pot, squeeze the sides to loosen the root ball and tip the pot sideways to slide it out of the pot.
    — Megan Hughes, Better Homes & Gardens, 1 Nov. 2024
  • Move to a cool place, loosen clothes, drink cool liquids, and take a cool bath.
    — Marty Munson, Men's Health, 11 July 2022
  • First, loosen the clips on both ends of the new strut using the screwdriver.
    — Maryal Miller Carter, USA TODAY, 17 Apr. 2024
  • His pace slowed down, his grip on the back of my head would loosen a little bit.
    — Hanif Abdurraqib, The New Yorker, 24 Feb. 2024
  • Shake pan to loosen any endives that might stick to bottom of pan.
    — Kim Sunée, Anchorage Daily News, 8 June 2023
  • All of this did little to loosen Hamas’s grip on power.
    — Marc Lynch, Foreign Affairs, 14 Oct. 2023
  • Let cool briefly, then run a butter knife around the edge of each muffin to loosen.
    — Morgan Hines, USA TODAY, 11 Jan. 2023
  • The board may still vote to loosen that restriction if that is what Mr. Trump wants.
    — Joe Rennison, New York Times, 26 Mar. 2024
  • The elastic in tights can be warped and loosened by the heat, causing tights to lose their shape.
    — Melissa Locker, Southern Living, 31 Oct. 2023
  • Turn the walnuts onto a clean dish towel and roll and rub them around to loosen the skins.
    — Jennifer McClellan, USA TODAY, 4 Dec. 2022
  • If the sauce gets too thick, simply add a bit more water to loosen it up.
    — Sutanya Dacres, WSJ, 3 Mar. 2023
  • What to Consider: The fabric loosens a bit in the water.
    — Anna Popp, Travel + Leisure, 25 May 2023
  • If that is the case, find a spot to sit in the shade, drink water, and loosen your clothing to let the heat get away from your skin.
    — Josie Goodrich, USA TODAY, 28 July 2023
  • The clearest way for the White House to loosen rules requiring automakers to make more EVs will be to target vehicle fuel efficiency and tailpipe standards.
    — Aarian Marshall, WIRED, 22 Jan. 2025
  • Image Bitcoin, which hit a record on Monday, and other digital tokens have soared since Election Day on the hope that the incoming administration will loosen regulation around the sector.
    — Andrew Ross Sorkin, New York Times, 20 Jan. 2025

Some of these examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'loosen.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

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