loosened; loosening
ˈlü-sᵊn-iŋ 
ˈlüs-niŋ
1
: to release from restraint
2
: to make looser
loosened his tie
loosen a screw
3
: to relieve (the bowels) of constipation
4
: to cause or permit to become less strict
—often used with up
loosened the rules
: to become loose or looser
Examples of loosen in a Sentence
He used a spade to loosen the soil.
She loosened the cake from the sides of the pan.
After eating so much I had to loosen my belt.
When the meeting was over he loosened his tie.
One of the screws had loosened a bit and had to be tightened.
Each generation seems to loosen the established standards of behavior.
Standards of behavior seem to be loosening everywhere.
Recent Examples on the Web
The frets had corroded, and the neck joint had loosened so much that the guitar could not be played safely, according to the auction house.
—
Noah Goldberg, Los Angeles Times, 26 Apr. 2024
Tennessee Republicans have regularly loosened gun laws, including a 2021 permit-less carry law for handguns backed by Lee.
—CBS News, 23 Apr. 2024
The Fort Worth City Council voted unanimously Tuesday to loosen building height restrictions on Panther Island.
—Harrison Mantas, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 23 Apr. 2024
In contrast, the Florida Highway Patrol recently loosened its pursuit policy.
—Tribune News Service, The Mercury News, 19 Apr. 2024
First, loosen the clips on both ends of the new strut using the screwdriver.
—Maryal Miller Carter, USA TODAY, 17 Apr. 2024
Yet another excuse to enjoy an extra-long and toasty shower: Taking big breaths of steamy or misty air can thin and loosen even the most stubborn gunk.
—Alexis Berger, SELF, 15 Apr. 2024
That has helped loosen the labor market, which was very tight a few years ago, so all of these factors have really allowed for the economy to continue to move at a decent pace and that’s happening at the same time as inflation has been falling.
—Bryan Mena, CNN, 31 Mar. 2024
This multimedia method of reading creates quick little shots of prose that can loosen the writing gears.
—Jay Caspian Kang, The New Yorker, 12 Apr. 2024
Noah Goldberg, Los Angeles Times, 26 Apr. 2024
Tennessee Republicans have regularly loosened gun laws, including a 2021 permit-less carry law for handguns backed by Lee.
—CBS News, 23 Apr. 2024
The Fort Worth City Council voted unanimously Tuesday to loosen building height restrictions on Panther Island.
—Harrison Mantas, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 23 Apr. 2024
In contrast, the Florida Highway Patrol recently loosened its pursuit policy.
—Tribune News Service, The Mercury News, 19 Apr. 2024
First, loosen the clips on both ends of the new strut using the screwdriver.
—Maryal Miller Carter, USA TODAY, 17 Apr. 2024
Yet another excuse to enjoy an extra-long and toasty shower: Taking big breaths of steamy or misty air can thin and loosen even the most stubborn gunk.
—Alexis Berger, SELF, 15 Apr. 2024
That has helped loosen the labor market, which was very tight a few years ago, so all of these factors have really allowed for the economy to continue to move at a decent pace and that’s happening at the same time as inflation has been falling.
—Bryan Mena, CNN, 31 Mar. 2024
This multimedia method of reading creates quick little shots of prose that can loosen the writing gears.
—Jay Caspian Kang, The New Yorker, 12 Apr. 2024
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.
Articles Related to loosen
Dictionary Entries Near loosen
Cite this Entry
“Loosen.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/loosen. Accessed 29 Apr. 2024.
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