as in to facilitate
to free from obstruction or difficulty
hoped that adding a second lane would loosen up traffic on that street
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in to relax
to get rid of nervous tension or anxiety
a high-pressure job that makes it hard for him to loosen up even on weekends
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of loosen (up)
Matthew Korfhage, Wired News, 6 Aug. 2025
The seller may be more apt to pick some of the other types of loans, be more open-minded to taking a smaller down payment, be more open to a buyer's concession or more willing to loosen up some terms.
—Maddie McGay, USA Today, 25 July 2025
If the plant was root bound in its pot, consider pulling it out of the ground, loosening up the roots so water can penetrate, and replanting it.
—Brandee Gruener, Southern Living, 23 July 2025
Deutsche Bank analysts also expect regulators to loosen up.
—Morgan Chittum, CNBC, 20 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for loosen (up)
Verb
As the steam loosens up particles of fat and food, use the towel or cloth as your scrubber, repeating as many times as necessary until the surface is smooth, pushing all material into the griddle's grease trap.
—Matthew Korfhage, Wired News, 6 Aug. 2025
The seller may be more apt to pick some of the other types of loans, be more open-minded to taking a smaller down payment, be more open to a buyer's concession or more willing to loosen up some terms.
—Maddie McGay, USA Today, 25 July 2025
If the plant was root bound in its pot, consider pulling it out of the ground, loosening up the roots so water can penetrate, and replanting it.
—Brandee Gruener, Southern Living, 23 July 2025
Deutsche Bank analysts also expect regulators to loosen up.
—Morgan Chittum, CNBC, 20 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for loosen (up)
Cite this Entry
“Loosen (up).” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/loosen%20%28up%29. Accessed 10 Sep. 2025.
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