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
Other people’s reactions bleed into your own experience; the boundary between self and crowd loosens.
—
Yook Jihun, Popular Science, 26 Mar. 2026
Trump has given Iran the deadline to loosen its grip on the critical maritime passage for the oil and shipping trades after extending his initial deadline Monday evening by five days, citing progress in peace negotiations.
—Bill Hutchinson, ABC News, 26 Mar. 2026
Yet the air campaign, costing billions of dollars, has not forced Iran to capitulate and loosen its grip on the strait.
—Sudarsan Raghavan, New Yorker, 25 Mar. 2026
Researchers studying sinus physiology have long observed that gentle vibration can help loosen mucus and encourage natural drainage.
—Matthew Kayser, USA Today, 25 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for loosen
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Yook Jihun, Popular Science, 26 Mar. 2026
Trump has given Iran the deadline to loosen its grip on the critical maritime passage for the oil and shipping trades after extending his initial deadline Monday evening by five days, citing progress in peace negotiations.
—Bill Hutchinson, ABC News, 26 Mar. 2026
Yet the air campaign, costing billions of dollars, has not forced Iran to capitulate and loosen its grip on the strait.
—Sudarsan Raghavan, New Yorker, 25 Mar. 2026
Researchers studying sinus physiology have long observed that gentle vibration can help loosen mucus and encourage natural drainage.
—Matthew Kayser, USA Today, 25 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for loosen
Cite this Entry
“Loosen.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/loosen. Accessed 3 Apr. 2026.
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