as in softening
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1
as in loosening
to make less taut
you'll need to slacken the rope a bit to get it free of that post
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in slowing
to cause to move or proceed at a less rapid pace
drivers need to slacken their speed as they approach the sharp curve
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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Recent Examples of slackening
Sasha Geffen, Pitchfork, 21 Jan. 2026
There was still a risk of more flash flooding and mudslides Friday despite slackening rain around Los Angeles, the National Weather Service warned.
—Ty Oneil, Arkansas Online, 27 Dec. 2025
Verb
Hammers tapped slackening fibers and instead of the pleasant overtones of a major scale, a nauseating cacophony swelled from the instrument’s wooden belly.
—Sasha Geffen, Pitchfork, 21 Jan. 2026
There was still a risk of more flash flooding and mudslides Friday despite slackening rain around Los Angeles, the National Weather Service warned.
—Ty Oneil, Arkansas Online, 27 Dec. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for slackening
Verb
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That’s when something tightened, a brief, instinctual clam-closing and then loosening again just as fast.—
Dawn Lerman,
Los Angeles Times,
20 Mar. 2026
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Lawmakers will debate bills related to loosening gun regulations at colleges in at least eight states this year, including Florida, Louisiana, New Hampshire, South Carolina, South Dakota, Utah, Virginia and Wyoming.—
Alexandra Koch,
FOXNews.com,
18 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Johnson finished with 18 points on 7-of-22 shooting as TCU and Hunter were successful in slowing her down.—
Steven Johnson,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
29 Mar. 2026
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It could be counteracted by a weaker employment number, given a slowing economy generally coincides with falling yields as investors seek out safety (bond yields move inversely to prices).—
Jim Cramer,
CNBC,
29 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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The prospect of higher interest rates as a result of the war could boost government bonds among investors, at the expense of non-yielding precious metals, market strategists told CNBC recently.—
Joseph Wilkins,Hugh Leask,
CNBC,
23 Mar. 2026
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Golden Steer wet-ages its meat, which softens the fibers, perhaps too much: my sixteen-ounce Shorthorn (the menu’s term for a New York strip) was as yielding as a filet mignon—disconcerting, not delightful—and, upon slicing, left a puddle of diluted jus on the plate.—
Helen Rosner,
New Yorker,
1 Mar. 2026
Verb
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And drivers should avoid hard acceleration and braking whenever possible, and skip premium gas if their cars allow it, the magazine said.—
Matthew Daly,
Chicago Tribune,
28 Mar. 2026
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The rear light flares bright when braking to add visibility for trailing riders and drivers.—
Erica Zazo,
Outside,
27 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Slackening.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/slackening. Accessed 3 Apr. 2026.
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