1
as in loosened
not tightly fastened, tied, or stretched
secure your neckerchief with a loose knot
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in unconsolidated
consisting of particles that do not stick together
the car wheels slipped on the loose gravel in the driveway
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3
as in flexible
not bound by rigid standards
we tend to be loose with the dress code when we aren't hosting clients at the office
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4
as in free
not bound, confined, or detained by force
there was a brief panic when the lion got loose from its cage at the zoo
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5
as in approximate
not precisely correct
a loose guess about the size of the crowd at the outdoor concert
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6
as in corrupt
having or showing lowered moral character or standards
the loose life that he led in the years before he settled down and found his path
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1
as in to fire
to cause (a projectile) to be driven forward with force
the archers loosed a great volley of arrows at the foot soldiers charging towards them
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2
as in to unleash
to find emotional release for
do not loose your pent-up frustrations on the next person who happens by
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3
as in to free
to set free (as from slavery or confinement)
the ranchers loosed the horses from their stables and into the paddock
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4
as in to loosen
to set free (from a state of being held in check)
the storm loosed its full fury when it hit the coastline at high tide
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of loose
Stephanie Giang-Paunon, FOXNews.com, 16 May 2025
There was a looser scene on a weeknight, when a round of frosty Martinis, a sampling of cloudy, tart orange wines, and a peppery bottle of red, shared with two colleagues, seemed less like a life-style statement and more like a bold recommitment to the very act of living.
—Hilton Als, New Yorker, 16 May 2025
Megan Morrone, Axios, 24 Jan. 2025
When quantity is the most cherished currency, quality looses out.
—Cornelia C. Walther, Forbes, 15 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for loose
Adjective
Her hair was styled half up and half down with loose curls.
—Stephanie Giang-Paunon, FOXNews.com, 16 May 2025
There was a looser scene on a weeknight, when a round of frosty Martinis, a sampling of cloudy, tart orange wines, and a peppery bottle of red, shared with two colleagues, seemed less like a life-style statement and more like a bold recommitment to the very act of living.
—Hilton Als, New Yorker, 16 May 2025
Verb
Between the lines: OpenAI views Operator as the first baby steps toward loosing its AI on the world beyond ChatGPT's window.
—Megan Morrone, Axios, 24 Jan. 2025
When quantity is the most cherished currency, quality looses out.
—Cornelia C. Walther, Forbes, 15 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for loose
Recent Examples of Synonyms for loose
Adjective
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Management identified a material weakness in internal controls related to verifying information from unconsolidated subsidiaries, which has been addressed with new procedures.—
Quartz Intelligence Newsroom,
Quartz,
1 Apr. 2025
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Related article Massive sinkhole threatens to swallow West Virginia police department Takashi Oguchi, a geographer from the University of Tokyo, said sinkholes are rare in Japan, where most roads are built on unconsolidated fluvial and marine sediments.—
Yumi Asada, Chris Lau and Minori Konishi,
CNN,
31 Jan. 2025
Adjective
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The rules around federal civil proceedings are slightly more flexible, allowing for recording in some instances at the discretion of the judge.—
Anna Kaufman,
USA Today,
13 May 2025
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Some linguists and other scientists have been quick to point out that chimpanzee communication is far less flexible and complicated than human language.—
Jon Hamilton,
NPR,
12 May 2025
Adjective
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There’s no guarantee the barrier plans will keep the carp from lakes, which already have some freshwater common European carp, also an invasive species, swimming free.—
Charles Selle,
Chicago Tribune,
14 May 2025
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Burial evidence linked to potential victims of obstetric deaths suggests not all infants who died early received proper burials or were even born free.—
Jack Beresford,
MSNBC Newsweek,
14 May 2025
Adjective
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To Sturzenegger, that was in the approximate vicinity where Warren said the initial searches for Brick took place.—
David Chiu,
People.com,
14 May 2025
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These kinds of approximate methods could eventually inform the waveform templates that are so crucial for filtering out noise in upcoming gravitational-wave detectors, Plefka says.—
Ramin Skibba,
Scientific American,
13 May 2025
Adjective
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That included former interim U.S. Attorney Danielle Sassoon, who wrote in her resignation letter that Adams had entered into a corrupt quid pro quo with Trump to get rid of his case by offering immigration enforcement assistance in exchange for a dismissal.—
Chris Sommerfeldt,
New York Daily News,
10 May 2025
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He has been banned for life from the city of Bonita Springs, having once sunk a corrupt city councilman’s party barge, but shows little remorse.—
Amy Weiss-Meyer,
The Atlantic,
8 May 2025
Verb
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In the collider, lead ions are fired at each other at nearly the speed of light, either hitting one another or passing close to others.—
George Petras,
USA Today,
17 May 2025
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Trump also fired Librarian of Congress Carla Hayden, who appointed Perlmutter.—
Ted Johnson,
Deadline,
16 May 2025
Verb
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That’s because Hollywood is set to unleash a steady stream of horror films from now till the end of August.—
Randy Myers,
Mercury News,
17 May 2025
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The transaction will unleash billions of dollars in new infrastructure builds in communities across the country.—
David Shepardson,
USA Today,
17 May 2025
Verb
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The Devil Wears Prada 2, a sequel to the 2006 film that starred Anne Hathaway, Meryl Streep, Emily Blunt, and Stanley Tucci, is now set to release May 1.—
Raechal Shewfelt,
EW.com,
23 May 2025
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However, he was granted his request at the Southwark Crown Court on Wednesday, May 21, according to the BBC, and was released on a $6.7 million bail.—
Charna Flam,
People.com,
23 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Loose.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/loose. Accessed 25 May. 2025.
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