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
Jim Hoehn, Twin Cities, 6 Mar. 2026
It cannot be overstated how good this is for their mental health—to be able to let loose at the playground, sing along to Disney movie soundtracks with abandon, jump in puddles in the middle of a rainstorm.
—Elisabeth Sherman, Parents, 6 Mar. 2026
Adam L. Rovner, The Conversation, 31 Oct. 2025
Safer, then, to keep loosing arrows at others’ positions rather than one’s own.
—Shai Tubali, Big Think, 30 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for loose
Adjective
Freshman Lila Sislo put Superior/Northwestern up 1-0 with an opportunistic goal with seven minutes remaining in the first period, pouncing on a loose puck in front of the crease.
—Jim Hoehn, Twin Cities, 6 Mar. 2026
It cannot be overstated how good this is for their mental health—to be able to let loose at the playground, sing along to Disney movie soundtracks with abandon, jump in puddles in the middle of a rainstorm.
—Elisabeth Sherman, Parents, 6 Mar. 2026
Verb
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
Safer, then, to keep loosing arrows at others’ positions rather than one’s own.
—Shai Tubali, Big Think, 30 Sep. 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
-
This combination of an unstable base below a thick layer of unconsolidated fresh snow is one of the most dangerous causes of snow avalanches in the mountains, Swain says.—
Tom Metcalfe,
Scientific American,
18 Feb. 2026
-
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
Adjective
-
The new firm, as is being redefined by AI, is a much smaller corpus of full-time employees, because those are the least flexible workers in your talent pool.—
Andrew Edgecliffe-Johnson,
semafor.com,
13 Mar. 2026
-
In Asia, governments from Vietnam to the Philippines are reviving flexible work orders to curb fuel demand, and across Europe, ministers are urging residents to skip the commute to save gas.—
Tristan Bove,
Fortune,
12 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
Oweh had a breakout season in the aftermath of his midseason trade from Baltimore and is considered one of the top defensive players set to be available in free agency.—
Senior Editor,
Los Angeles Times,
8 Mar. 2026
-
In a nice touch, all reseller plans use NVMe storage, LiteSpeed web servers, 30-day backups, free SSL certificates for all clients, malware scanning and removal, and firewalls for enhanced security.—
Gabriel Zamora,
PC Magazine,
8 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
Wednesday marks the third week of the team’s approximate three-week re-evaluation timeline for Franz Wagner, who continues to manage a left high ankle sprain that’s kept him off the court for a total 34 games this season.—
Jason Beede,
The Orlando Sentinel,
9 Mar. 2026
-
Based on observations from the James Webb Space Telescope, scientists know the asteroid's approximate length could reach nearly 300 feet, or about the size of a 15-story building.—
Eric Lagatta,
USA Today,
9 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
The Shah's regime was corrupt and dysfunctional.—
The Week UK,
TheWeek,
8 Mar. 2026
-
Trump has granted clemency to all manner of criminals from violent January 6 rioters to corrupt politicians and fraudulent businessmen.—
Krista Kafer,
Denver Post,
6 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Hezbollah fired missiles deep into Israel, setting off air raid sirens in central Israel and its commercial hub Tel Aviv, as interception blasts sounded as far as Jerusalem.—
Thao Nguyen,
USA Today,
10 Mar. 2026
-
Through geolocating and verifying seven images, Human Rights Watch said Israel fired white phosphorus using artillery at residential areas in the southern Lebanese village of Yohmor.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
10 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Asia’s governments will have to stretch their budgets or risk unleashing an inflation shock as the deepening conflict in the Middle East pushes oil prices past $100 a barrel.—
Claire Jiao,
Bloomberg,
9 Mar. 2026
-
Reporting from Tel Aviv Tehran unleashed a heavy barrage of missile and drone attacks directed at oil facilities across the region, in what Arab officials tell NBC News is a strategy to drive up oil prices to create pressure for a ceasefire.—
Yarden Segev,
NBC news,
9 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Loose.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/loose. Accessed 13 Mar. 2026.
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