loosen

verb

ˈlü-sᵊn How to pronounce loosen (audio)
Definition of loosennext
1
as in to relax
to make less taut the lead climber loosened the climbing rope so that the other climber could have more room to maneuver

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to release
to set free (as from slavery or confinement) the dog ran after the squirrel after he was loosened from the post

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in to unleash
to set free (from a state of being held in check) once he got to know us better, his inhibitions loosened a bit

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of loosen Loose Fan Blades Vibration can loosen the screws that hold the fan blades in place. — Tricia Goss, Southern Living, 28 Sep. 2026 Chalk it up to how busy guys’ lives have gotten, loosening gender norms, or the simple fact that pockets are inadequate for modern life’s necessities. — Justin Fenner, Robb Report, 26 Sep. 2026 After this, turn and loosen the mulch with a garden fork to keep the mold from returning. — Michelle Mastro, Martha Stewart, 26 Sep. 2026 Warsaw now wants the European Union to allow similar suspensions during migration emergencies, as the bloc considers a framework that could loosen standard asylum procedures. — Claudia Ciobanu, Los Angeles Times, 25 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for loosen
Recent Examples of Synonyms for loosen
  1. relax
  2. release
  3. unleash
  4. ease
  5. free
  6. liberate
  7. loose
  8. rescue
Verb
  • The third, Surrender, is a massage performed in water, in which the buoyancy and warmth allow the body to completely relax and let go.
    — Robb Report Studio, Robb Report, 3 Oct. 2026
  • Because of the data center being built in his backyard, Butters’ television loses power constantly, leaving him unable to relax and watch his beloved videos.
    — Payton Turkeltaub, Variety, 1 Oct. 2026
Definition of relax
Verb
  • Mogwai, who would make their debut the year after Beat was released and with whom Bowery Electric would share a bill, would crouch in similarly unassuming and tense postures and use them to spring out and scare the bejeezus out of people.
    — Sadie Sartini Garner, Pitchfork, 4 Oct. 2026
  • Never Enough, released in June 2025, is Turnstile’s fourth album and the follow-up to their 2021 breakthrough Glow On.
    — Jessica Lynch, Billboard, 4 Oct. 2026
Definition of release
Verb
  • Advertisement As protests intensified, state media unleashed a frenzied smear campaign, casting Egyptian protesters as foreign agents and outside agitators.
    — Abdelrahman ElGendy, Time, 6 Oct. 2026
  • That single choice unleashes a harrowing chain of strange and terrifying events in the dead of night, turning a simple gesture of kindness into a real-life nightmare.
    — Melanie Goodfellow, Deadline, 5 Oct. 2026
Definition of unleash
Verb
  • Another catalyst could come in December, when CHIPS Act funding restrictions ease, allowing Micron to deploy its growing cash pile toward a significant buyback .
    — Alexa LoMonaco,Jeff Nash, CNBC, 3 Oct. 2026
  • Bolsonaro has called for easing environmental rules and allowing farming or mining on Indigenous lands, raising concern that forest loss could increase even if current restrictions remain technically intact.
    — Gabriela Sá Pessoa, Los Angeles Times, 2 Oct. 2026
Definition of ease
Verb
  • Google said in its release that its new model is already being used internally to optimize memory at Google’s data centers, freeing up hundreds of terabytes of memory without buying additional hardware.
    — Kai Nicol-Schwarz, CNBC, 2 Oct. 2026
  • Larkin has been fairly vocal about his frustrations in the Motor City, and Barkov's $10 million coming off the books could free up the space to make a move for the American center.
    — Austin Perry OutKick, FOXNews.com, 2 Oct. 2026
Definition of free
Verb
  • The Sun in your sign trines liberating Uranus in your adventurous 9th house, encouraging you to explore a new subject, destination, belief, or direction.
    — Tarot.com, Hartford Courant, 28 Sep. 2026
  • We were taught by a gruff cockney called Fred Waring, who had participated in the D-Day landings in a regiment that had fought its way across Europe towards Berlin and liberated the concentration camp at Belsen.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 21 Sep. 2026
Definition of liberate
Verb
  • Upheavals so profound are not accomplished without loosing uneasy spirits that will haunt us for many days.
    — J. B. MacKinnon, Harpers Magazine, 22 Sep. 2026
  • The bigger question is how the Cybercabs were quietly loosed on city streets, even with their human controls.
    — Matthew Sedacca, Curbed, 14 Sep. 2026
Definition of loose
Verb
  • Two people died and 11 crew members were rescued, Romanian authorities said.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 6 Oct. 2026
  • The 14-year-old girl who officials say gave birth to her father’s child on a California roadside has been rescued after an Amber Alert issued last month, Monterey County officials confirmed Sunday evening.
    — Jasmine Mendez, Los Angeles Times, 5 Oct. 2026
Definition of rescue

Phrases Containing loosen

Browse Nearby Words

loosely
loosen
loosened
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Cite this Entry

“Loosen.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/loosen. Accessed 7 Oct. 2026.

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