loosen

verb loos·en \ ˈlü-sᵊn \

Definition of loosen

loosened; loosening play \ˈlüs-niŋ, ˈlü-sᵊn-iŋ\

transitive verb

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

intransitive verb

:to become loose or looser

See loosen defined for English-language learners

See loosen defined for kids

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 of loosen from the Web

Linebacker Leo Lewis continues to compete through the wonders of conditional immunity, a deal the NCAA cut in order to loosen Lewis’ lips concerning violations committed in his recruitment.

— tim sullivan, The Courier-Journal, "Immunity deals complicate NCAA justice | Sullivan," 26 Aug. 2017
Read More: Saudi Arabia’s Loosening Up Leaves Some Clinging to Tradition The short clip showed a young boy, dressed in shorts and a striped t-shirt, with headphones on, dancing oh a zebra crossing as traffic stopped at a red light.

— nour al ali, Bloomberg.com, "Saudi Police Detain 14-Year-Old After Viral Macarena Video," 23 Aug. 2017
Beatrice’s joie de vivre gives Claire a reason to want to loosen up.

— michael o’sullivan, kansascity, "‘The Midwife’ is an acting showcase for two Catherines: Deneuve and Frot," 17 Aug. 2017
Transfers are nothing new, but the numbers of athletes who move around has greatly increased since a 1997 state statute called for the Florida High School Athletic Association to loosen up its tight regulations to allow for school choice.

— buddy collings and jeff gardenour, OrlandoSentinel.com, "Football players talk about transfers," 10 Aug. 2017
The vinegar works to loosen up any mineral deposits that may have built up.

— alyse whitney, Bon Appetit, "How to Clean the 6 Most Neglected Places in Your Kitchen," 6 July 2017
Some pianists use their pre-performance time for warmups: Gold medalist Yekwon Sunwoo, for instance, jumps up and down and shakes his hands to loosen up.

— star-telegram, "Keyed Up: Behind the curtains of the Van Cliburn International Piano Competition," 5 July 2017
The Obama administration slowly loosened the ban and Congress finally ended it in late 2015 in a compromise that also extended tax credits for renewable energy.

— clifford krauss, New York Times, "Oil Exports, Illegal for Decades, Now Fuel a Texas Port Boom," 5 July 2017
Run a butter knife around perimeter of pan to loosen loaf, then tap pan gently on its side until loaf releases.

— nancy miller, The Courier-Journal, "Cuvee Wine Table 'a perfect fit' for chef de cuisine," 4 July 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'loosen.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.