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
Mary Marlowe Leverette, Southern Living, 18 Oct. 2025
Republicans in Washington have accused the protesters of prolonging the govenment shutdown, as well as hating America, being terrorists or belonging to Antifa, a loose group of anti-fascists.
—Sarah D. Wire, USA Today, 18 Oct. 2025
Dalton Ross, EW.com, 29 May 2025
Another group of 10 wolves captured in Oregon was loosed in December 2023.
—Max Levy, Denver Post, 16 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for loose
Adjective
When the soil feels loose and crumbly, irrigate the area and test the moisture level.
—Mary Marlowe Leverette, Southern Living, 18 Oct. 2025
Republicans in Washington have accused the protesters of prolonging the govenment shutdown, as well as hating America, being terrorists or belonging to Antifa, a loose group of anti-fascists.
—Sarah D. Wire, USA Today, 18 Oct. 2025
Verb
Ro has loosed them upon the galaxy, striking fear into the heart of even the most stalwart Jedi.
—Dalton Ross, EW.com, 29 May 2025
Another group of 10 wolves captured in Oregon was loosed in December 2023.
—Max Levy, Denver Post, 16 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for loose
Recent Examples of Synonyms for loose
Adjective
-
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
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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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There’s no question that the younger generation has brought their own approach to office life—prioritizing mental health, flexible scheduling, and work-life balance—and are even getting fired for not knowing how to act workplace-appropriate.—
Preston Fore,
Fortune,
17 Oct. 2025
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Its model favors small and midsize creators, offering quick setup, flexible operations, and space for experimentation.—
Essie Assibu,
Variety,
17 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
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.—
Charlotte Phillipp,
PEOPLE,
20 Oct. 2025
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His press office has taken to sending out text-free press releases composed solely of images of ICE agents pointing guns at civilians.—
Ben Smith,
semafor.com,
20 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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With reports that Leonardo DiCaprio is distinctly interested in playing the role of Chris Shiherlis, the character played by the late great Val Kilmer in the original, Heat 2‘s approximate budget is $150 million.—
Dominic Patten,
Deadline,
21 Oct. 2025
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Thanks to the crew’s quick response, the plane landed safely without further incident, and passengers were transferred to a replacement Boeing 737 MAX 9 that continued to Los Angeles with an approximate six-hour delay.—
Kaif Shaikh,
Interesting Engineering,
20 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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By inviting armed soldiers into our streets, the Governor has sold out our sovereignty to a corrupt politician looking to distract you from the Epstein Files, rising prices at the grocery store, and more Texans than ever unable to realize the dream of homeownership.—
Jenna Sundel,
MSNBC Newsweek,
16 Oct. 2025
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MacCallum noted that Mamdani had apologized to two dozen members of the NYPD, having previously referred to them as racist, wicked and corrupt.—
Ted Johnson,
Deadline,
15 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Dominik Szoboszlai, who was asked to play deeper alongside Jones, capped a sensational display by firing home their fifth goal from 20 yards out after Cody Gakpo had netted for the third successive game.—
James Pearce,
New York Times,
23 Oct. 2025
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The 23-year-old came into the league as the consensus top pick in last year’s draft but struggled as a rookie, in a season which saw the Bears fire their head coach Matt Eberflus following a disastrous Thanksgiving Day loss.—
Ben Morse,
CNN Money,
22 Oct. 2025
Verb
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The wave of store closures unleashed sporadic efforts over the intervening years to engineer new uses for the empty properties.—
George Avalos,
Mercury News,
16 Oct. 2025
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Exactly one week after marrying North Carolina rapper Stunna 4 Vegas in an all-pink wedding and dominating social media in the process, Houston rapper Monaleo unleashed one of hip-hop’s most politically potent songs of the year.—
Kyle Denis,
Billboard,
15 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Loose.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/loose. Accessed 24 Oct. 2025.
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