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
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Recent Examples of loosening
Logan Hall,
CBS News,
24 June 2026
This is achieved through loosening regulations to encourage housing construction and limiting Wall Street investors' ability to buy homes that could go to families instead.
—
Lalee Ibssa,
ABC News,
23 June 2026
Garden trowel Mulch (optional) Prepare the soil by loosening it up with a garden trowel.
—
Sj McShane,
Martha Stewart,
22 June 2026
Being interruptible means loosening our grip on our tasks and plans so there's enough space for real people to get in.
—
Jen Zamzow,
CNBC,
20 June 2026
Environmental advocates say Pines demonstrates the potential consequences of loosening coal ash rules.
—
Christiana Freitag,
Chicago Tribune,
13 June 2026
Apply around the seam, wait up to an hour, and then try loosening the bolt.
—
Brandee Gruener,
Southern Living,
8 June 2026
His gums are bleeding, his joints ache and his teeth are loosening from their sockets.
—
Scott Travers,
Forbes.com,
6 June 2026
The traditional three-square-meals-a-day structure is loosening.
—
Lauren Jarvis-Gibson,
Sacbee.com,
4 June 2026
Allison Palmer,
Charlotte Observer,
17 June 2026
Although jeans may be more relaxed around the legs, there is still a case for stretch materials to provide comfort and ease as well as recovery or bounce back, preventing bagged out knees and loosening.
—
Sarah Jones,
Footwear News,
12 June 2026
Has there been any loosening of the rules for the tournament?
—
Melanie Anzidei,
New York Times,
11 June 2026
As the Union-Tribune’s Lucas Robinson noted, that money was made available by an earlier loosening of restrictions on dipping into the reserve — a policy advanced by the Board of Supervisors’ three Democrats and opposed by its two Republicans.
—
Michael Smolens,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
31 May 2026
There has been some loosening on those expectations for traditional journalists, which varies significantly by organization, beat, and medium.
—
Jeremy Saks,
Encyclopedia Britannica,
26 May 2026
Shortly thereafter, gaps between high and low performers began to grow at the national level, which many education scholars attribute both to the introduction of screens and the loosening of accountability.
—
Abby McCloskey,
Twin Cities,
12 Apr. 2026
Long Beach, Long Island, is holding a public hearing regarding the loosening of alcohol restrictions on its iconic boardwalk.
—
Jennifer McLogan,
CBS News,
7 Apr. 2026
Chinese bonds may be reaching an historic turning point, with yields climbing from record low levels as deflationary pressures ease and expectations for monetary loosening recede.
—
Iris Ouyang,
Bloomberg,
5 Apr. 2026
Verb
Cambridge recently joined Boston and other Massachusetts communities in temporarily loosening its liquor laws for the World Cup and other summer celebrations.
—
Logan Hall,
CBS News,
24 June 2026
This is achieved through loosening regulations to encourage housing construction and limiting Wall Street investors' ability to buy homes that could go to families instead.
—
Lalee Ibssa,
ABC News,
23 June 2026
Garden trowel Mulch (optional) Prepare the soil by loosening it up with a garden trowel.
—
Sj McShane,
Martha Stewart,
22 June 2026
Being interruptible means loosening our grip on our tasks and plans so there's enough space for real people to get in.
—
Jen Zamzow,
CNBC,
20 June 2026
Environmental advocates say Pines demonstrates the potential consequences of loosening coal ash rules.
—
Christiana Freitag,
Chicago Tribune,
13 June 2026
Apply around the seam, wait up to an hour, and then try loosening the bolt.
—
Brandee Gruener,
Southern Living,
8 June 2026
His gums are bleeding, his joints ache and his teeth are loosening from their sockets.
—
Scott Travers,
Forbes.com,
6 June 2026
The traditional three-square-meals-a-day structure is loosening.
—
Lauren Jarvis-Gibson,
Sacbee.com,
4 June 2026
Noun
The Safety Debate That Didn’t Go Away Not everyone is convinced the loosening makes sense.
—
Allison Palmer,
Charlotte Observer,
17 June 2026
Although jeans may be more relaxed around the legs, there is still a case for stretch materials to provide comfort and ease as well as recovery or bounce back, preventing bagged out knees and loosening.
—
Sarah Jones,
Footwear News,
12 June 2026
Has there been any loosening of the rules for the tournament?
—
Melanie Anzidei,
New York Times,
11 June 2026
As the Union-Tribune’s Lucas Robinson noted, that money was made available by an earlier loosening of restrictions on dipping into the reserve — a policy advanced by the Board of Supervisors’ three Democrats and opposed by its two Republicans.
—
Michael Smolens,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
31 May 2026
There has been some loosening on those expectations for traditional journalists, which varies significantly by organization, beat, and medium.
—
Jeremy Saks,
Encyclopedia Britannica,
26 May 2026
Shortly thereafter, gaps between high and low performers began to grow at the national level, which many education scholars attribute both to the introduction of screens and the loosening of accountability.
—
Abby McCloskey,
Twin Cities,
12 Apr. 2026
Long Beach, Long Island, is holding a public hearing regarding the loosening of alcohol restrictions on its iconic boardwalk.
—
Jennifer McLogan,
CBS News,
7 Apr. 2026
Chinese bonds may be reaching an historic turning point, with yields climbing from record low levels as deflationary pressures ease and expectations for monetary loosening recede.
—
Iris Ouyang,
Bloomberg,
5 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for loosening
Verb
-
The family of five appeared to be settling into the area nicely, as Messi posted a series of photos on Instagram of himself and Roccuzzo relaxing poolside with their kids that July.
-
With a spacious design, durable construction, and charming look, it’s bound to be your go-to retreat for morning coffee, afternoon reading, or evening relaxing.
Verb
-
ChatGPT offers practical tools to streamline hiring busywork, freeing recruiters for crucial decisions.
-
Harvard’s research confirms that AI liberates managers from coordination and relay tasks, freeing them for judgment, contextual intelligence, and human connection that no system can replicate.
Verb
-
SpaceX’s record-shattering IPO has minted thousands of new millionaires, unleashing a wave of high-end home shoppers poised to reshape Southern California’s already tight coastal housing markets.
-
The sociologist Max Weber foresaw the paralysis of this bureaucratization that is now unleashing a rising fury against democracy itself.
Noun
-
There was empathy, but also a sense of professional detachment.
-
After a short hike through a loblolly pine forest to the beach, there's a feeling of near-complete detachment from the rest of the world.
Verb
-
After easing through the first three innings, Bryan Reynolds hit a double off the top of the left field fence and Valdez bombed one to left to cut the Phillies' lead to 5-2.
-
The quarter that contained that second spike closes this week, and the fund updates that follow are the next read on whether the pressure is easing or building.
Verb
-
Listen to the Obama playlists Barack Obama is known for releasing his songs of the summer playlist each year, and his end-of-year favorites in books, movies and music.
-
The news comes as the series heads into its final two episodes of season one, with the finale releasing on July 3.
Verb
-
The 25, also non-chill filtered, is bottled at 47 percent ABV (94 proof), and that higher proof goes a long way to unlocking the flavor here.
-
Each Eagle Cup includes a free medium beverage with purchase and features a unique promotional code inside unlocking $3 medium Refresher or Dunkin' Zero beverages for 30 days.
Verb
-
Shortly after, Waldorf's placenta had trouble detaching.
-
Visual effects company Weta created the effect of Vecna’s head detaching from his body.
Cite this Entry
“Loosening.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/loosening. Accessed 30 Jun. 2026.
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