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
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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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of loosen
The White House loosened its tariffs for automakers Wednesday, which fueled a small rebound the car industry stocks.
—
Brian Niemietz, New York Daily News, 6 Mar. 2025
Macron said proposals on the table included loosening the bloc’s rules around obliging EU members to keep their budget deficits below 3% of GDP, by taking military spending out of the calculation.
—Melanie Goodfellow, Deadline, 5 Mar. 2025
Still, with little sign so far that Mr. Trump is loosening his embrace of Mr. Putin, some European politicians are also focused on another historical parallel.
—Ned Temko, The Christian Science Monitor, 27 Feb. 2025
The month when winter’s icy grip starts to loosen, and the promise of spring is just around the corner.
—Matt Rozo, The Mercury News, 28 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for loosen
Brian Niemietz, New York Daily News, 6 Mar. 2025
Macron said proposals on the table included loosening the bloc’s rules around obliging EU members to keep their budget deficits below 3% of GDP, by taking military spending out of the calculation.
—Melanie Goodfellow, Deadline, 5 Mar. 2025
Still, with little sign so far that Mr. Trump is loosening his embrace of Mr. Putin, some European politicians are also focused on another historical parallel.
—Ned Temko, The Christian Science Monitor, 27 Feb. 2025
The month when winter’s icy grip starts to loosen, and the promise of spring is just around the corner.
—Matt Rozo, The Mercury News, 28 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for loosen
Recent Examples of Synonyms for loosen
Verb
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Get ready to sit back and relax for a while when Avatar: Fire and Ash hits theaters.—
Carly Thomas,
The Hollywood Reporter,
8 Mar. 2025
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The changes are part of a wide-ranging package of reforms that city officials are proposing in an effort to relax and streamline rules protecting historic homes and buildings.—
Noah Lyons,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
7 Mar. 2025
Verb
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He was released by the Chargers on March 5, saving the team $25.36 million in salary cap space.—
Dianna Russini,
The Athletic,
12 Mar. 2025
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At least one person was killed and 18 injured, according to a CNN tally of figures released by various Ukrainian officials.—
Jessie Yeung,
CNN,
11 Mar. 2025
Verb
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Chaos ensues, unleashing a menace that threatens to destroy the city.—
Rob Salkowitz,
Forbes,
18 Mar. 2025
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Trail of destruction The storm unleashed a deadly wave of tornadoes across the Central and Southern US starting Friday.—
Robert Shackelford,
CNN,
17 Mar. 2025
Verb
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Offer Remote Work Rewards One way HR leaders can ease return-to-office pushback is by giving employees more control.—
Expert Panel®,
Forbes,
11 Mar. 2025
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Research suggests that bromelain has anti-inflammatory properties and helps ease sore throats and clear sinuses.—
Julie Marks,
Verywell Health,
10 Mar. 2025
Verb
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This second phase was to begin with an agreement on permanently ending the war before the release of all living Israeli hostages held by Hamas in exchange for Israeli freeing high-profile Palestinian prisoners.—
Aya Batrawy,
NPR,
17 Mar. 2025
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Companies can focus on strategic goals and innovation by freeing their teams from repetitive, manual work.—
Michael Goshka,
Forbes,
17 Mar. 2025
Verb
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This might fly in the face of everything a business leader has been taught about being an expert, but trust me, the results of this kind of thinking are liberating.—
Christian Davies FCSD,
Forbes,
7 Mar. 2025
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That was really liberating at the time for women and looked scary to men.—
A Martínez,
NPR,
7 Mar. 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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So Nate decides to use his congenital insensitivity to pain (ICP) to his advantage and rescue the girl of his dreams.—
Brian Davids,
The Hollywood Reporter,
17 Mar. 2025
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The Day The Earth Blew Up: A Looney Tunes Movie from Ketchup Entertainment, turned indie after being rescued from Warner Bros., opened to $3.17 million on 2,827 screens.—
Jill Goldsmith,
Deadline,
16 Mar. 2025
Articles Related to loosen
Cite this Entry
“Loosen.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/loosen. Accessed 23 Mar. 2025.
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