as in loose
not tightly fastened, tied, or stretched
the loosened nuts finally dropped off of the screws
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in relaxed
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
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in freed
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 unleashed
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
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Recent Examples of loosened
Bloomberg, Oc Register, 24 Feb. 2026
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
The board’s Budget and Legislative Analyst said the loosened contracting rules could apply to more than $1 billion in government spending.
—J.d. Morris, San Francisco Chronicle, 29 Jan. 2025
Bestreviews, Chicago Tribune, 1 May 2026
The Supreme Court loosened a provision of the Voting Rights Act that restricted redrawing congressional districts on the basis of race.
—Lia Russell, Sacbee.com, 29 Apr. 2026
Microsoft remains the primary partner, but the grip has loosened.
—Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 27 Apr. 2026
As crises have accumulated in the decade since, the hoodie’s tight connection to anti-Black violence seems to have loosened.
—Dawn Chan, The New York Review of Books, 25 Apr. 2026
Plus, the straps can be tightened or loosened to your liking.
—Emily Weaver, PEOPLE, 16 Apr. 2026
His hands of steel loosened my back with oils, and various stones like hot and salt.
—Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 15 Apr. 2026
For Americans chasing a Canadian passport, the rules may have loosened but the red tape hasn’t.
—Michelle Del Rey, USA Today, 3 Apr. 2026
The day when everything around her began to shake and the lumps that embraced her loosened their grip and the tool tossed her through the air, she was spared from being sliced in two by the metal edge.
—María Ospina, The Dial, 31 Mar. 2026
Adjective
For now, though, Detroit’s automakers are leaning into the lucre that comes from selling millions of fossil-fuel vehicles in a rare moment of loosened regulation.
—Bloomberg, Oc Register, 24 Feb. 2026
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
The board’s Budget and Legislative Analyst said the loosened contracting rules could apply to more than $1 billion in government spending.
—J.d. Morris, San Francisco Chronicle, 29 Jan. 2025
Verb
Over the next 100 years, the rules of fashion loosened a bit.
—Bestreviews, Chicago Tribune, 1 May 2026
The Supreme Court loosened a provision of the Voting Rights Act that restricted redrawing congressional districts on the basis of race.
—Lia Russell, Sacbee.com, 29 Apr. 2026
Microsoft remains the primary partner, but the grip has loosened.
—Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 27 Apr. 2026
As crises have accumulated in the decade since, the hoodie’s tight connection to anti-Black violence seems to have loosened.
—Dawn Chan, The New York Review of Books, 25 Apr. 2026
Plus, the straps can be tightened or loosened to your liking.
—Emily Weaver, PEOPLE, 16 Apr. 2026
His hands of steel loosened my back with oils, and various stones like hot and salt.
—Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 15 Apr. 2026
For Americans chasing a Canadian passport, the rules may have loosened but the red tape hasn’t.
—Michelle Del Rey, USA Today, 3 Apr. 2026
The day when everything around her began to shake and the lumps that embraced her loosened their grip and the tool tossed her through the air, she was spared from being sliced in two by the metal edge.
—María Ospina, The Dial, 31 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for loosened
Adjective
-
Secure loose outdoor items and adjust plans as necessary so you're not caught outside.—
CA Weather Bot,
Sacbee.com,
1 May 2026
-
Layer loose ice on top, with a splash of bourbon to settle the drink.—
Kelly McCarthy,
ABC News,
1 May 2026
Verb
-
The service Staff are relaxed, friendly, and highly amenable—no request is too outlandish.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
28 Apr. 2026
-
Plus, the side slits keep the shirt relaxed without looking too boxy on smaller frames.—
Aashna Gheewalla,
PEOPLE,
27 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
That’s freed up the large teams once dedicated to data entry and cleaning, many of whom have been redeployed onto building internal evaluations.—
Jeremy Kahn,
Fortune,
28 Apr. 2026
-
The girl reportedly freed herself and knocked on a nearby neighbor's door, where she was brought inside to safety.—
Madison E. Goldberg,
PEOPLE,
28 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Frey unleashed his five-pitch arsenal, thwarting the Spartans most of the way.—
Paul Johnson,
Chicago Tribune,
30 Apr. 2026
-
But the War on Terror persisted and mutated into nightmares in Iraq and Afghanistan, and then Syria, which unleashed that darkness in the form of terrorist states and a refugee crisis that spread anti-Muslim and anti-migrant hatred to Europe, the United States, and beyond.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
29 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Having replaced McGinn, Sancho was still settling into the game’s pace, but was markedly slack in possession.—
Jacob Tanswell,
New York Times,
20 Apr. 2026
-
That’s why trains have a trick called slack action.—
Rhett Allain,
Wired News,
10 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Church’s combination of talent, affability, and fine manners eased his way into New York’s élite, sometimes inspiring envy among his painter friends.—
Sebastian Smee,
New Yorker,
4 May 2026
-
But the Tribune found many cases where the petitions eased the way for hospitals to discharge patients to subpar nursing homes, sometimes bypassing family members who disagreed with the hospital’s choice or were slow to make other arrangements.—
Christy Gutowski,
Chicago Tribune,
3 May 2026
Verb
-
Harriet was thirty-eight when her mother was released, in 2019.—
James Wood,
New Yorker,
4 May 2026
-
The driver was taken to a hospital with minor injuries and has since been released, police said.—
Jay Blackman,
NBC news,
4 May 2026
Adjective
-
In a video captured by PEOPLE, the actor, 29, is seen adjusting the back of Zendaya's blue and white patterned dress that had seemingly come undone.—
Catherine Santino,
PEOPLE,
30 Apr. 2026
-
But therein lies the danger with what the Pistons have done here, while coming undone themselves.—
John Niyo,
The Orlando Sentinel,
26 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Loosened.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/loosened. Accessed 5 May. 2026.
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