as in to facilitate
to free from obstruction or difficulty
hoped that adding a second lane would loosen up traffic on that street
Synonyms & Similar Words
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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)
Nikita Khanna, Vogue, 5 Feb. 2026
Skarsgård explained that the same thing was applied to his facial expressions, to assure that the character loosened up over the course of the film.
—Shania Russell, Entertainment Weekly, 25 Jan. 2026
There’s room for a career time traveler like Styles to loosen up both structurally and lyrically.
—Craig Jenkins, Vulture, 23 Jan. 2026
In a modified approach, Boston Dynamics has clearly decided to loosen up some of the restrictions of the human form.
—Victor Tangermann, Futurism, 7 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for loosen (up)
Verb
McCurdy adds that guests themselves tend to loosen up when phones are out of reach.
—Nikita Khanna, Vogue, 5 Feb. 2026
Skarsgård explained that the same thing was applied to his facial expressions, to assure that the character loosened up over the course of the film.
—Shania Russell, Entertainment Weekly, 25 Jan. 2026
There’s room for a career time traveler like Styles to loosen up both structurally and lyrically.
—Craig Jenkins, Vulture, 23 Jan. 2026
In a modified approach, Boston Dynamics has clearly decided to loosen up some of the restrictions of the human form.
—Victor Tangermann, Futurism, 7 Jan. 2026
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 28 Feb. 2026.
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