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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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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
Brandee Gruener, Southern Living, 10 June 2025
The men were working at the site of the Cancer Pavilion Project at the University of Chicago Hospital when the scaffolding came loose during strong winds, fire officials told WBBM.
—Mitchell Willetts, Kansas City Star, 9 June 2025
Matthew Specktor, HollywoodReporter, 3 Sep. 2019
Even before the rains, rockslides loosed by the wildfire had tumbled onto the road.
—Trevor Hughes, USA TODAY, 8 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for loose
Adjective
Try alternating your rows of carrots and onions; both like to be planted in loose, well-draining soil during cool weather.
—Brandee Gruener, Southern Living, 10 June 2025
The men were working at the site of the Cancer Pavilion Project at the University of Chicago Hospital when the scaffolding came loose during strong winds, fire officials told WBBM.
—Mitchell Willetts, Kansas City Star, 9 June 2025
Verb
In the fall of 1982, Love Child receives its title and is loosed into theaters, only to vanish a few weeks later.
—Matthew Specktor, HollywoodReporter, 3 Sep. 2019
Even before the rains, rockslides loosed by the wildfire had tumbled onto the road.
—Trevor Hughes, USA TODAY, 8 Feb. 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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Everything has to be centred on them, perhaps with a flexible back three with three attacking midfielders: Havertz as a false nine, Musiala half left, Wirtz half right.—
Philipp Lahm,
New York Times,
6 June 2025
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Subsidized interest, flexible repayment options and leeway during times of financial hardship make federal loans a smart option for many eligible borrowers.—
Kamaron McNair,
CNBC,
5 June 2025
Adjective
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Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE's free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.—
Meredith Wilshere,
People.com,
8 June 2025
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Burnes’ Loss Clouds Future of the Rotation Even before Burnes’ injury, the Diamondbacks faced questions about what the 2026 rotation would look like since top starters Zac Gallen and Merrill Kelly are eligible for free agency this winter and are likely to test the market.—
Jack Magruder,
Forbes.com,
7 June 2025
Adjective
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About two weeks ago, the state wildlife department announced the release of an online map that shows the approximate location of GPS-collard wolves.—
Lila Seidman,
Los Angeles Times,
31 May 2025
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Age before beauty To obtain an approximate age for a young crescent moon, simply add the number of hours or days that have elapsed from the time of new moon through the date and time of sunset at your location on a particular evening.—
Joe Rao,
Space.com,
27 May 2025
Adjective
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Entertainment Weekly has an exclusive first look at the film, which follows Ahmed's Ash, an off-the-grid fixer who brokers deals between whistleblowers and corrupt corporations through a message relay service that maintains anonymity.—
Jessica Wang,
EW.com,
5 June 2025
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Sara’s friend from her secret agent days, Teresa, is also taking matters into her own hands after also losing a loved one to a corrupt system.—
Isabella Wandermurem,
Time,
3 June 2025
Verb
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As well as 479 drones, 20 missiles of various types were fired at different parts of Ukraine, according to the air force, which said the barrage targeted mainly central and western areas of Ukraine.—
Illia Novikov,
Los Angeles Times,
9 June 2025
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Tottenham fired Ange Postecoglou on Friday despite his leading Spurs to the Europa League title, the club’s first trophy in 17 years.—
Paul Tenorio,
New York Times,
8 June 2025
Verb
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The remarks refer to a sweeping campaign unleashed by Xi with an aim to purge religious faiths of foreign influence and align them more closely with traditional Chinese culture – and the authoritarian rule of the officially atheist Communist Party.—
Nectar Gan,
CNN Money,
6 June 2025
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Eventually Trump let slip that he was disappointed in his former adviser, prompting Musk to unleash a flood of insults and taunts.—
Chris Megerian,
Chicago Tribune,
6 June 2025
Verb
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Similarly, the requirement for iPadOS 16 means the latest YouTube update won’t run on the iPad Air 2 (released in 2014) and iPad mini 4, first sold in 2015.—
David Phelan,
Forbes.com,
3 June 2025
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After releasing a mobile version of Photoshop on iPhone earlier this year, the promised Android release has finally arrived.—
Stephen Clark – Jun 3,
ArsTechnica,
3 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Loose.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/loose. Accessed 15 Jun. 2025.
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