Synonyms of loosened

loosened 1 of 2

adjective

as in loose

not tightly fastened, tied, or stretched

the loosened nuts finally dropped off of the screws

Synonyms & Similar Words

• loose
• slack
• relaxed
• undone
• detached
• slackened
• lax
• unsecured
• insecure
• untied
• unbound
• unfastened
• unattached
• free
• baggy
• saggy
• blousy

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• tight
• taut
• tense
• restrained
• constrained
• bound
• attached
• tied
• firm
• stuck
• fast
• fastened
• jammed
• wedged
• snug

loosened

2 of 2

verb

past tense of loosen

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

• relaxed
• eased
• slackened
• detached
• slacked
• untied
• undid
• freed
• unfastened
• unbound

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• tightened
• stretched
• attached
• bound
• tied
• strained
• fastened
• tensed
• tensioned
• restrained
• constrained

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

• freed
• released
• liberated
• rescued
• loosed
• saved
• enlarged
• sprang
• emancipated
• turned loose
• enfranchised
• unbound
• manumitted
• discharged
• unchained
• disenthralled
• unfettered
• uncaged
• paroled
• bailed (out)
• extricated
• ransomed
• redeemed
• disengaged
• disentangled
• delivered
• unshackled
• disencumbered
• disembarrassed

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• bound
• confined
• restrained
• fettered
• shackled
• handcuffed
• imprisoned
• enchained
• locked (up)
• committed
• incarcerated
• jailed
• interned
• manacled
• subdued
• conquered
• subjugated
• trammeled
• enslaved
• immured

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

• unleashed
• released
• unloosed
• loosed
• unlocked
• unloosened
• uncorked
• let go
• expressed
• liberated
• aired
• unshackled
• sprang
• freed
• emancipated
• enfranchised
• unbound
• manumitted
• unchained
• unfettered
• unmoored
• discharged
• vented
• uncaged
• took out

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• held
• restrained
• controlled
• checked
• contained
• regulated
• inhibited
• constrained
• governed
• curbed
• tamed
• smothered
• bridled
• reined (in)
• shackled
• bound
• handcuffed
• confined
• fettered
• hampered
• manacled
• trammeled
• enchained
• haltered

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of loosened

Adjective

Use a non-abrasive scrubbing sponge or a microfiber cloth to remove all the loosened debris. — Maria Sabella, The Spruce, 19 Sep. 2026

The loosened restrictions will not empower Washington to pursue investment and economic cooperation with al Sharaa’s government, which could transform the impoverished country. — Timothy Nerozzi, The Washington Examiner, 27 Aug. 2026

Scrub the metal grid with a dish sponge or brush to remove loosened debris. — Karen Brewer Grossman, Southern Living, 21 Aug. 2026

Hence shirt jackets and safari jackets in linen and leather came to the fore, as did denim Bermudas, linen polos and lots of lifestyle knits amid its more formal, full-canvas tailoring — styled with a loosened tie. — Luisa Zargani, Footwear News, 22 June 2026

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

This sort of artichoke will be presented whole and upright, its petals loosened from cooking but not full Bloomin’ Onion splayed. — The Editors, Vulture, 30 Oct. 2026

There is to be more social liberalism, the role of religious secondary education is to be minimized and border controls are too be loosened. — George Liebmann, Baltimore Sun, 28 Oct. 2026

Their grip on song structure has loosened with each record and, by their most recent, 2024’s Exotic Birds of Prey, nearly dissipated altogether. — Dash Lewis, Pitchfork, 23 Oct. 2026

Rates of Medicaid and Medicare fraud exploded in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, when many rules were loosened and oversight strained by efforts to expand care. — Sonja Sharp, Los Angeles Times, 22 Oct. 2026

Yet as black became a defining color of modern fashion, most famously through Gabrielle Chanel’s little black dress of 1926, its association with mourning gradually loosened. — Livia Caligor, Vogue, 21 Oct. 2026

None of this has loosened the ties among the United States’ adversaries. — Andrea Kendall-Taylor, Foreign Affairs, 16 Oct. 2026

In a law firm, access can’t be loosened for convenience; client confidentiality depends on who sees what. — Sean Nathaniel, Forbes.com, 13 Oct. 2026

Over time these requirements loosened, and in 2025 the FDA ended mandatory blood testing in conjunction with clozapine use. — Encyclopedia Britannica, 7 Oct. 2026