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
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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
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Dissimilar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of loosening
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
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
The announcement applies to all the military services and is the latest in a series of restrictions after years of military services loosening the rules on how troops can look, often at the request of service members themselves.
—Dave Smith, Fortune, 17 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
Psychedelics offer unique ways to potentially relieve suffering by loosening that rigid self-focus.
—Christopher Timmermann, Big Think, 20 Aug. 2025
Verb
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
Noun
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
The announcement applies to all the military services and is the latest in a series of restrictions after years of military services loosening the rules on how troops can look, often at the request of service members themselves.
—Dave Smith, Fortune, 17 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
Psychedelics offer unique ways to potentially relieve suffering by loosening that rigid self-focus.
—Christopher Timmermann, Big Think, 20 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for loosening
Verb
-
The Athmile Wide-Leg Sweatpants, which shoppers love for traveling, running errands, and relaxing at home, have a super-soft fleece lining and pockets big enough for smartphones.—
Sian Babish,
PEOPLE,
20 Oct. 2025
-
In the past two decades, self-expression has become a tacit expectation in many white-collar workplaces, with dress codes relaxing and companies professing interest in their employees’ lives and values.—
Katy Waldman,
New Yorker,
20 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
But the main action involved Norman Reedus’ Daryl sneaking into El Alcazar and killing pretty much everyone there of any villainous importance, while also freeing Roberto’s girlfriend Justina (Candela Saitta).—
Dalton Ross,
Entertainment Weekly,
20 Oct. 2025
-
Vladimir Lenin believed that such families were a prison for women, and his revolutionary comrades—among them, his wife, Nadezhda Krupskaya; his mistress Inessa Armand; and his ally Alexandra Kollontai—were assigned the task of freeing them from it.—
Julia Ioffe,
New Yorker,
19 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Thomas saw two men – wearing Commanders’ jerseys – unleashing a flurry of punches on another man in a blue Giants shirt.—
Ed Lavandera,
CNN Money,
11 Oct. 2025
-
Your favorite streaming services like Netflix, Apple TV+, Peacock and Amazon's Prime Video are unleashing a host of new movies that run the gamut of genres and tastes.—
Brian Truitt,
USA Today,
10 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Taylor – who scored three touchdowns – was regularly easing past defenders, including going untouched into the end zone.—
Mirjam Swanson,
Oc Register,
20 Oct. 2025
-
The Cboe Volatility Index had jumped to a high above 28 at one point on Friday before easing below 21 as stocks moved higher.—
Sean Conlon,Pia Singh,
CNBC,
19 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Informal salvage businesses buy old batteries and melt the lead in makeshift furnaces, releasing waste that ends up in the air, soil, and water.—
Ben Smith,
semafor.com,
17 Oct. 2025
-
Douglas Dulgarian began making noise as TAGABOW in 2017, playing house shows and releasing early cassettes like 2017’s Sweater Curse.—
Rob Sheffield,
Rolling Stone,
17 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
If that awareness spreads to other highly tariffed sectors, from furniture to heavy machinery, this administration may unintentionally succeed in unlocking widespread adoption of circularity that has eluded its backers for decades.—
Justin Worland,
Time,
17 Oct. 2025
-
These ghost-like particles are key to unlocking some of the deepest mysteries of the universe.—
Mrigakshi Dixit,
Interesting Engineering,
17 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
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
-
That means hanging out with old friends less, making more of an effort to meet new ones, letting go of some old hobbies to explore new ones, detaching from my hometown and maybe even getting a new job.—
Harriette Cole,
Mercury News,
11 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
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
-
But liberating humans from work would also mean liberating them from their paychecks.—
Billy Perrigo,
Time,
9 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Loosening.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/loosening. Accessed 22 Oct. 2025.
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