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
Laurent Dubois, The Conversation, 10 June 2026
The ladies then loosened the mood and began discussing pop culture topics, like Pink's Tony Awards opening number and Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce's reported wedding plans at Madison Square Garden.
—Leigh Blickley, Entertainment Weekly, 8 June 2026
These cities loosened their zoning laws and other restrictions in recent years to build housing, helping bring down rents.
—Nathaniel Meyersohn, CNN Money, 4 June 2026
Travel costs are climbing, remote work has loosened the rules on where and how long people can roam, and a growing share of travelers are deciding that a stranger’s spare bedroom — or entire home — beats another $400-a-night hotel.
—Hanna Wickes, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 2 June 2026
The mother-of-pearl buttons have an expensive, classy look and haven’t loosened with wear.
—Irene Richardson, InStyle, 1 June 2026
The reins were loosened and the horse began to gallop and flare its nostrils.
—Amy Lawrence, New York Times, 31 May 2026
That decade, Serie A loosened its prohibition on foreigners, setting quotas that allowed three foreign players per club by 1988.
—Albert Samaha, New Yorker, 30 May 2026
The cabin hadn’t changed, but the reins had been loosened.
—Joe Soucheray, Twin Cities, 30 May 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
In 2020, the rules were further loosened so that players can change in some contexts after that age.
—Laurent Dubois, The Conversation, 10 June 2026
The ladies then loosened the mood and began discussing pop culture topics, like Pink's Tony Awards opening number and Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce's reported wedding plans at Madison Square Garden.
—Leigh Blickley, Entertainment Weekly, 8 June 2026
These cities loosened their zoning laws and other restrictions in recent years to build housing, helping bring down rents.
—Nathaniel Meyersohn, CNN Money, 4 June 2026
Travel costs are climbing, remote work has loosened the rules on where and how long people can roam, and a growing share of travelers are deciding that a stranger’s spare bedroom — or entire home — beats another $400-a-night hotel.
—Hanna Wickes, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 2 June 2026
The mother-of-pearl buttons have an expensive, classy look and haven’t loosened with wear.
—Irene Richardson, InStyle, 1 June 2026
The reins were loosened and the horse began to gallop and flare its nostrils.
—Amy Lawrence, New York Times, 31 May 2026
That decade, Serie A loosened its prohibition on foreigners, setting quotas that allowed three foreign players per club by 1988.
—Albert Samaha, New Yorker, 30 May 2026
The cabin hadn’t changed, but the reins had been loosened.
—Joe Soucheray, Twin Cities, 30 May 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for loosened
Adjective
-
The pace of rumors concerning Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce’s pending wedding exploded this week, helped in large part by a big-city mayor with loose lips.—
Lisa Gutierrez,
Kansas City Star,
20 June 2026
-
When Díaz underwent the procedure to remove loose bodies from his elbow in late April, the Dodgers eyed a post-All-Star break return.—
Maddie Lee,
Los Angeles Times,
20 June 2026
Verb
-
The next week, the administration relaxed export controls on Nvidia's highly prized AI chips, clearing the way for the company to sell them to China.—
Michael Kaplan,
CBS News,
15 June 2026
-
Griffin has even relaxed the office culture a bit.—
Gary Sernovitz,
New Yorker,
15 June 2026
Verb
-
The sometimes Star Island resident began his stretch at the low‑security federal prison three months later, set to be freed May 8, 2028.—
Madeleine Marr,
Miami Herald,
16 June 2026
-
At some point in her early life, likely through legal channels, Sarah was freed.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
16 June 2026
Verb
-
Moutet had different plans, and unleashed a flurry of foul language that is sure to land him in some hot water.—
Austin Perry OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
17 June 2026
-
The intensity increased stepwise until, with nine Valkyries singing at full force, Dudamel unleashed a climactic storm of sound.—
Alex Ross,
New Yorker,
15 June 2026
Adjective
-
And those problems are magnified in the slack middle section of this 160-minute film, as the hunters make discoveries of their own in the forest, unnecessary subplots and aliens multiply, and there are some halfhearted attempts at giving them a thin backstory.—
Jessica Kiang,
Variety,
17 May 2026
-
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
Verb
-
The pound eased against major currencies as speculation mounted that Starmer was going to set out a timetable for his departure.—
Kim Hjelmgaard,
USA Today,
22 June 2026
-
By then, the peak summer rush has eased, many families have returned home and the islands begin to regain some breathing room.—
David Nikel,
Forbes.com,
21 June 2026
Verb
-
In October 2025 Anthropic launched Claude for Life Sciences, the first time that the company released a product for a specific vertical market.—
Rob Toews,
Forbes.com,
22 June 2026
-
Then last week, the agency released a more in-depth analysis of 2024 infant mortality data, offering details not yet available for 2025.—
Mike Stobbe,
Los Angeles Times,
22 June 2026
Adjective
-
Barack matched his wife's energy in a dark suit, paired with a slightly undone baby blue button-down for a pop of color and shiny dress shoes.—
Christina Perrier,
InStyle,
17 June 2026
-
Ashley even donned the undone style on the Met Gala red carpet in 2017, tucking her blond ends under a dull green collar.—
Kaleigh Werner,
Footwear News,
12 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Loosened.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/loosened. Accessed 23 Jun. 2026.
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