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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Recent Examples of loose
Assistant Editor, Los Angeles Times, 29 May 2026
The new episodes leave room for seriousness and depth amidst high jinks and naked murderers on the loose (seriously).
—Kelly Lawler, USA Today, 28 May 2026
Kim Toscano, Southern Living, 21 Dec. 2025
Isaacs, a Jewish apprentice merchant from England, loosed the rope around his waist and jumped for his life, landing on the edge of the Zulu kingdom.
—Adam L. Rovner, The Conversation, 31 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for loose
Adjective
Park officials cite zero-tolerance ride safety rules banning all loose articles — even snacks.
—Assistant Editor, Los Angeles Times, 29 May 2026
The new episodes leave room for seriousness and depth amidst high jinks and naked murderers on the loose (seriously).
—Kelly Lawler, USA Today, 28 May 2026
Verb
Candytuft is evergreen in warm Southern climes, but looses its foliage in cold northerly locations.
—Kim Toscano, Southern Living, 21 Dec. 2025
Isaacs, a Jewish apprentice merchant from England, loosed the rope around his waist and jumped for his life, landing on the edge of the Zulu kingdom.
—Adam L. Rovner, The Conversation, 31 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for loose
Recent Examples of Synonyms for loose
Adjective
-
For now, though, Detroit’s automakers are leaning into the lucre that comes from selling millions of fossil-fuel vehicles in a rare moment of loosened regulation.—
Bloomberg,
Oc Register,
24 Feb. 2026
-
Next, carefully remove the bowl from the microwave and use a microfiber cloth to wipe away all the loosened grime.—
Maria Sabella,
Better Homes & Gardens,
7 Aug. 2025
Adjective
-
That loose, unconsolidated snow is more likely to slide, making avalanches potentially larger during big storms.—
Sacbee.com,
Sacbee.com,
14 Mar. 2026
-
At a targeted $50 billion primary raise and $1.5 trillion valuation, the deal would trail only Saudi Aramco in market cap and blow past Alibaba’s debut, yet it’s being pitched off fragmentary financials and largely unconsolidated disclosures, Tully writes.—
Sheryl Estrada,
Fortune,
12 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
For mothers without access to flexible or remote work, summer break is associated with a significant drop in earnings and work hours.—
Abby McCloskey,
Twin Cities,
4 June 2026
-
This result suggests that a tiny insect brain can support surprisingly flexible behavior, according to James Nieh, a professor in the department of ecology, behavior and evolution at the University of California San Diego, who was not involved with the study.—
Jacopo Prisco,
CNN Money,
4 June 2026
Adjective
-
This rapid breakthrough, combined with early reforms such as releasing political prisoners and allowing a freer press, earned him the Nobel Peace Prize.—
Nimi Princewill,
CNN Money,
31 May 2026
-
The Broncos could’ve easily signed a different linebacker in free agency for a similar cost.—
Luca Evans,
Denver Post,
31 May 2026
Adjective
-
So by necessity, the encoding must be approximate, and therefore some aspects of what’s going on in the space-time can’t be perfectly recovered by measuring a subset of the quantum particles in the usual way.—
Quanta Magazine,
Quanta Magazine,
3 June 2026
-
The letters on the chart represent the approximate time periods to full recovery for the events listed here.—
Zev Fima,
CNBC,
1 June 2026
Adjective
-
Democrats have never run against a candidate like Ken Paxton that is so corrupt that his own party impeached him.—
NBC news,
NBC news,
31 May 2026
-
Our lame-duck governor is happily corrupt and no longer answerable to Floridians.—
Sun Sentinel Editorial Board,
Sun Sentinel,
30 May 2026
Verb
-
The violent arrest immediately sparked community protests, and Hyder was fired the next day.—
Jericka Duncan,
CBS News,
2 June 2026
-
Terr hopes that the settlements reached thus far will deter officials from firing or punishing employees for their speech moving forward, despite political pressure or online outrage.—
Drew Pittock,
USA Today,
2 June 2026
Verb
-
His team unleashed a large advertising buy — a major chunk of his remaining campaign funds — placing spots on cable TV and online beginning in late March.—
Dakota Smith,
Los Angeles Times,
1 June 2026
-
It’s expected that the temporary coverage of obesity medications, which sidesteps federal law, will unleash millions of new patients and billions of dollars in revenue for the drugs’ manufacturers, Eli Lilly and Novo Nordisk.—
Allison DeAngelis,
STAT,
1 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Loose.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/loose. Accessed 6 Jun. 2026.
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