loosen

verb

loos·​en ˈlü-sᵊn 

loosened; loosening ˈlü-sᵊn-iŋ 

ˈlüs-niŋ

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

Synonyms of loosen

• relax
• ease

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

Jensen Huang's company's consistent beat-and-raise behavior, along with its outsized macroeconomic importance to the computing infrastructure boom, has loosened the tie between its quarterly performance and analysts' expectations. — Tobias Burns, CNBC, 26 Aug. 2026

National conservatives, for instance, oppose loosening the United States’ ties with Israel and tolerating Chinese and Russian imperialism. — Leonard A. Schuette, Foreign Affairs, 25 Aug. 2026

Markets will next scrutinize how the Federal Reserve responds, Saravelos predicted, pointing out that Bessent’s moves to effectively loosen financial conditions would typically prompt the Fed to offset that with tightening measures. — Jason Ma, Fortune, 23 Aug. 2026

Sure, his back may have loosened more with each completion Daniels made last Friday. — Rick Stroud, The Orlando Sentinel, 22 Aug. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Phrases Containing loosen

• loosen one's collar
• loosen one's grip/hold
• loosen someone's tongue
• loosen the purse strings
• loosen up

Rhymes for loosen

• mucin

Kids Definition

loosen

verb

loos·​en ˈlüs-ᵊn 

loosened; loosening ˈlüs-niŋ 

-ᵊn-iŋ

1

: to set free

2

: to make or become loose or looser

3

: to cause or permit to become less strict

loosened the rules