1
as in relaxing
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
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in freeing
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 unleashing
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
as in unfixing
Related Words
Dissimilar Words
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of loosening
Sam Stone, Bon Appetit Magazine, 29 Oct. 2025
That remark cuts against one market narrative that loosening financial conditions might be fueling an asset bubble in tech.
—Eva Roytburg, Fortune, 29 Oct. 2025
Goldman also reported that the labor market is loosening, meaning there are more workers than jobs, to levels not seen in 10 years.
—Jeff Cox, CNBC, 7 Oct. 2025
Newsom signed Assembly Bill 1340 after throwing his weight behind it in August when lawmakers brokered a deal allowing independent drivers to unionize in exchange for loosening companies’ accident insurance coverage requirements.
—David Lightman, Sacbee.com, 6 Oct. 2025
The commonwealth has been without an operational freestanding birthing center since the 1980s, said Mary Kathryn DeLodder, director of the Kentucky Birth Coalition — a grassroots organization that led the charge in advocating for legislation loosening regulations for the facilities.
—Killian Baarlaer, Louisville Courier Journal, 3 Oct. 2025
The nature of the merger will require approval from the FCC, which will likely involve loosening longstanding ownership regulations.
—Marni Rose McFall Croucher, MSNBC Newsweek, 18 Sep. 2025
Far infrared heat is highly effective in loosening tight muscles and joints.
—Michelle Stansbury, Forbes.com, 25 Aug. 2025
Ingredients Directions Remove and discard the thin outer membrane on back of ribs by loosening it with a sharp knife and pulling it off.
—Jasmine Smith, Southern Living, 24 Aug. 2025
Meghan Hall, Sourcing Journal, 16 Oct. 2025
Critics of the loosening of standards also point to the ongoing Pentagon inspector general investigation into Hegseth’s alleged communication of classified information via the Signal messaging app.
—Davis Winkie, USA Today, 14 Oct. 2025
The flexi-fit invisi drawstring, a clear, three-strand elastic sewn into the nape, allows easy tightening or loosening.
—Noel Cymone Walker, StyleCaster, 29 Sep. 2025
When so many of today’s complaints—the loneliness of young people, the torturous dating market, the loosening of community bonds—come down to interpersonal alienation, the idea of American culture returning to a primal, highly evolved signal of kinship and compatibility is tantalizing.
—Franklin Schneider, The Atlantic, 16 Sep. 2025
In other instances, the loosening of vaccine mandates has been reversed after outbreaks.
—Miami Herald, 10 Sep. 2025
In due course the informality and loosening of the customs around dressing would take people all the way to grunge and eventually, in the new millennium, put CEOs of multimillion-dollar companies in hoodies.
—Belinda Luscombe, Time, 5 Sep. 2025
The loosening of the policy around police pursuits has drawn criticism from some, including longtime advocate Jon Farris, who previously lived in Milwaukee and whose son was killed as a bystander during a police chase in Massachusetts.
—Jack Albright, jsonline.com, 9 Aug. 2025
Verb
Houseplant began in Canada in 2019, but after some US states began loosening cannabis restrictions, the duo expanded the company stateside.
—Sam Stone, Bon Appetit Magazine, 29 Oct. 2025
That remark cuts against one market narrative that loosening financial conditions might be fueling an asset bubble in tech.
—Eva Roytburg, Fortune, 29 Oct. 2025
Goldman also reported that the labor market is loosening, meaning there are more workers than jobs, to levels not seen in 10 years.
—Jeff Cox, CNBC, 7 Oct. 2025
Newsom signed Assembly Bill 1340 after throwing his weight behind it in August when lawmakers brokered a deal allowing independent drivers to unionize in exchange for loosening companies’ accident insurance coverage requirements.
—David Lightman, Sacbee.com, 6 Oct. 2025
The commonwealth has been without an operational freestanding birthing center since the 1980s, said Mary Kathryn DeLodder, director of the Kentucky Birth Coalition — a grassroots organization that led the charge in advocating for legislation loosening regulations for the facilities.
—Killian Baarlaer, Louisville Courier Journal, 3 Oct. 2025
The nature of the merger will require approval from the FCC, which will likely involve loosening longstanding ownership regulations.
—Marni Rose McFall Croucher, MSNBC Newsweek, 18 Sep. 2025
Far infrared heat is highly effective in loosening tight muscles and joints.
—Michelle Stansbury, Forbes.com, 25 Aug. 2025
Ingredients Directions Remove and discard the thin outer membrane on back of ribs by loosening it with a sharp knife and pulling it off.
—Jasmine Smith, Southern Living, 24 Aug. 2025
Noun
Rotem said that a major reason this mismatch continues to narrow is the loosening of stigma around secondhand.
—Meghan Hall, Sourcing Journal, 16 Oct. 2025
Critics of the loosening of standards also point to the ongoing Pentagon inspector general investigation into Hegseth’s alleged communication of classified information via the Signal messaging app.
—Davis Winkie, USA Today, 14 Oct. 2025
The flexi-fit invisi drawstring, a clear, three-strand elastic sewn into the nape, allows easy tightening or loosening.
—Noel Cymone Walker, StyleCaster, 29 Sep. 2025
When so many of today’s complaints—the loneliness of young people, the torturous dating market, the loosening of community bonds—come down to interpersonal alienation, the idea of American culture returning to a primal, highly evolved signal of kinship and compatibility is tantalizing.
—Franklin Schneider, The Atlantic, 16 Sep. 2025
In other instances, the loosening of vaccine mandates has been reversed after outbreaks.
—Miami Herald, 10 Sep. 2025
In due course the informality and loosening of the customs around dressing would take people all the way to grunge and eventually, in the new millennium, put CEOs of multimillion-dollar companies in hoodies.
—Belinda Luscombe, Time, 5 Sep. 2025
The loosening of the policy around police pursuits has drawn criticism from some, including longtime advocate Jon Farris, who previously lived in Milwaukee and whose son was killed as a bystander during a police chase in Massachusetts.
—Jack Albright, jsonline.com, 9 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for loosening
Verb
-
Your Risk for Heart Disease and Stroke Decreases Foods rich in dietary nitrates, like beets, help increase blood flow by widening and relaxing blood vessels.—
Lauren Panoff,
Verywell Health,
4 Nov. 2025
-
There are also all kinds of activities to partake in; however, one of my favorites is relaxing.—
Jenn Rice,
Travel + Leisure,
3 Nov. 2025
Verb
-
Not as a gimmick, but to automate reporting, clean messy data, and flag compliance risks, freeing up humans for strategy, supplier engagement, and culture change.—
Gus Bartholomew,
Sourcing Journal,
3 Nov. 2025
-
Video shows the deputy firing a single shot to the head, killing the suspect and instantly freeing the crying boy.—
Bonny Chu,
FOXNews.com,
3 Nov. 2025
Verb
-
Reddit Reacts The post struck a nerve with many Redditors, unleashing jokes, jabs and empathy.—
Lydia Patrick,
MSNBC Newsweek,
30 Oct. 2025
-
But now these escalations are almost exclusively in one direction, with Israel unleashing its firepower on Gaza against a depleted Hamas.—
Oren Liebermann,
CNN Money,
29 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
The concept of five substitutes was about easing physical demands on players, therefore guarding against injury and physical burnout.—
Michael Cox,
New York Times,
2 Nov. 2025
-
The unrest presents a test for Hassan, who won plaudits after taking office in 2021 for easing repression of opponents and censorship that had increased under her predecessor John Magufuli.—
Reuters 10 hr ago,
CNN Money,
30 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
And neither Mann nor Lockwood sees much value in the current, large-scale practice of releasing live larvae or young oysters into the bay.—
JSTOR Daily,
JSTOR Daily,
31 Oct. 2025
-
Offset has delivered a Halloween treat to fans, releasing his surprise new solo album Haunted by Fame.—
Jessica Lynch,
Billboard,
31 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Features like full-color displays, dual smart unlocking options, and the shocfree™ suspension system help make every ride smoother, safer, and more intuitive—freeing riders from the stress of traffic and unreliable public transit.—
Matt Emma,
USA Today,
24 Oct. 2025
-
Using a digital wristband, visitors can personalize their journey by selecting a Hogwarts house and unlocking interactive moments along the way.—
Tiffani Jackson,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
24 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Ford had recalled 175,000 vehicles on Wednesday, owing to moonroof wind deflectors detaching.—
Detroit Free Press,
Freep.com,
30 Oct. 2025
-
Emptying the dust cup was simple thanks to clear arrow indicators, although detaching it from the wand first added a small inconvenience.—
Toni Sutton,
PEOPLE,
25 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
In less than a decade, Cabral united more than a million Guineans in the struggle against Portuguese colonial rule, liberating three-quarters of the countryside of Guinea-Bissau and inspiring other African nations to rebel and claim their independence.—
Leo Barraclough,
Variety,
28 Oct. 2025
-
Detouring into satire would give that notion some pause and would give my writing some wings, liberating me from self-consciousness and untethering me from reality.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
15 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Loosening.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/loosening. Accessed 7 Nov. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share