loosen up

verb

loosened up; loosening up; loosens up

intransitive verb

: to become less tense : relax

Synonyms of loosen up

• relax
• hang loose

Examples of loosen up in a Sentence

hoped that adding a second lane would loosen up traffic on that street

a high-pressure job that makes it hard for him to loosen up even on weekends

Recent Examples on the Web

Navy, white and red carried throughout the lineup, which looked back to the designer’s signature ’90s prep but loosened up. — Ryma Chikhoune, Footwear News, 11 Sep. 2026

Take a few minutes to loosen up and get the blood flowing before starting your first interval. — Jakob Roze, HEALTH, 9 Sep. 2026

There’s a spa, steam room, oxygen lounge, and meditation room for loosening up both muscles and mind. — Tori Latham, Robb Report, 9 Sep. 2026

The two eventually connect and learn from each other; Ray loosens up and Molly grows up. — Kara Nesvig, Parents, 29 Aug. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1922, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for loosen up

• buttercup
• backup
• blowup
• breakup
• buildup
• checkup
• cleanup
• holdup
• hookup
• lineup
• lockup
• makeup