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

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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 November 22 – December 21 Fresh laughter loosens rigid thinking and plans. — Tarot.com, Baltimore Sun, 10 Aug. 2026 Sagittarius November 22 – December 21 Fresh laughter loosens rigid thinking and plans. — Tarot.com, New York Daily News, 10 Aug. 2026 When people stepped into the booth and spoke to an AI agent about their fears around AI, the social norms that typically govern what gets said out loud seemed to loosen. — Nohar Zmora, Forbes.com, 10 Aug. 2026 Gently remove Skyscraper® Senecio from its pot and loosen the roots. — Kim Toscano, Southern Living, 9 Aug. 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
  • At the same time, the city is poised to relax heights cap at the beach, potentially allowing towers as high as 340 feet where the Hollywood Beach Resort now sits.
    — Susannah Bryan, Sun Sentinel, 9 Aug. 2026
  • Finally, there’s magnesium, a mineral known for calming the nervous system and relaxing muscles.
    — Mura Dominko, Martha Stewart, 9 Aug. 2026
Definition of relax
Verb
  • Tyler Boebert, 21, was arrested Sunday and released from the county's jail that day after posting $10,000 bail, according to the Garfield County Sheriff's Office.
    — Denver Post, Denver Post, 11 Aug. 2026
  • The organization publicly releases minimal information detailing incidents in the region, refraining from specifying the vessels involved.
    — Kevin Liptak, CNN Money, 11 Aug. 2026
Definition of release
Verb
  • To boost attendance this summer, Disney unleashed a bevy of discounts from coast to coast, for tickets, hotels and dining plans for the season.
    — Natasha Chen, CNN Money, 13 Aug. 2026
  • Wages began to trail inflation in April, exacerbating the budget crunch unleashed after a price surge set off by the Iran war, some analysts told ABC news.
    — Max Zahn, ABC News, 13 Aug. 2026
Definition of unleash
Verb
  • The deployment of more than 1,500 soldiers to protect Michoacán’s avocado-growing region and recent arrests of people allegedly involved in extortion have eased concerns, but only partially.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 16 Aug. 2026
  • The bad blood between West Ham and Sheffield United over the Carlos Tevez and Javier Mascherano saga has eased over the years, but the rivalry will reconvene in Yorkshire on December 4.
    — Roshane Thomas, New York Times, 15 Aug. 2026
Definition of ease
Verb
  • The result is a system that, in the long term, could carry out sub hunting autonomously, but in the short term acts as an onboard co-pilot, freeing up human operators while doubling sonobuoy processing capacity.
    — David Szondy August 12, New Atlas, 13 Aug. 2026
  • The film memorably told the story of a young boy who befriends and tries to free a killer whale who has been captured in the wild and is living in an aquarium.
    — Stewart Clarke, Deadline, 13 Aug. 2026
Definition of free
Verb
  • France had already been liberated, but Royan was said to be the site of a smattering of Third Reich dead-enders.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 12 Aug. 2026
  • For Russian propagandists, the Azov Brigade, which began as a nationalist militia, was shorthand for the supposedly fascist influences from which Vladimir Putin claimed to be liberating Ukraine.
    — Joshua Yaffa, New Yorker, 10 Aug. 2026
Definition of liberate
Verb
  • His pets were accused of the unneighborly habit of loosing themselves upon suburban streets, prompting panicked phone calls and unnecessary police raids.
    — Dan Piepenbring, Harpers Magazine, 4 Aug. 2026
  • Stick to loose clothes with breathable fabrics like linen and cotton.
    — Helen Carefoot, Flow Space, 13 July 2026
Definition of loose
Verb
  • Local residents even helped rescue one of the young falcons using a bucket and a towel in late June when it was trapped in the Fox River.
    — Addison Wright, Chicago Tribune, 13 Aug. 2026
  • The tubers were rescued Friday amid dense woods and thick ground cover by two state troopers and three Michigan Department of Natural Resources conservation officers.
    — Dennis Romero, NBC news, 12 Aug. 2026
Definition of rescue

Phrases Containing loosen

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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 18 Aug. 2026.

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Nglish: Translation of loosen for Spanish Speakers

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