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
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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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Example Sentences
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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
-
The images, never meant for public view, showed officers eating fruit, decorating Christmas trees, singing, relaxing with their dogs.—
Miguel Sirgado,
Miami Herald,
11 Nov. 2025
-
Potassium also supports red blood cell production and helps counteract the effects of sodium by relaxing blood vessel walls and promoting fluid balance.—
Kathleen Ferraro,
Verywell Health,
11 Nov. 2025
Verb
-
Sketches such as last night’s Oval Office monologue compact the coal of the administration’s info dumps into little diamonds of comedy, freeing the writers and cast to pursue more escapist fare.—
Erik Adams,
The Atlantic,
9 Nov. 2025
-
If confirmed by future research, the approach could provide a powerful new weapon to fight heart disease, the nation's leading killer, freeing people from the need to take statins and other cholesterol-lowering drugs every day.—
NPR,
NPR,
8 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
-
Consumer prices in China unexpectedly rose last month, new data showed Sunday, a sign that deflationary pressures on the world’s second-largest economy may be easing.—
J.D. Capelouto,
semafor.com,
9 Nov. 2025
-
This comes amid wider Russian attack on cities closer to Ukraine's front-line regions, signaling that Moscow has no intention of easing up its targeting of infrastructure or agreeing to any ceasefire.—
Brendan Cole,
MSNBC Newsweek,
8 Nov. 2025
Verb
-
The Netflix sci-fi show will be releasing the final season in three parts.—
Janelle Ash,
FOXNews.com,
8 Nov. 2025
-
Roosevelt did this by releasing a controversial message to Congress, mainly about trusts and corporate corruption, around the same time that Hughes gave a speech about his own political future.—
JSTOR Daily,
JSTOR Daily,
7 Nov. 2025
Verb
-
That shift turned out to be the key to unlocking dramatic improvements.—
Neetika Walter,
Interesting Engineering,
7 Nov. 2025
-
Ankles are the unsung gatekeepers of healthy movement, and unlocking their mobility can relieve tension throughout your body.—
Dana Santas,
CNN Money,
6 Nov. 2025
Verb
-
Carol is actively detaching from anyone who might be of help to her.—
Erin Qualey,
Vulture,
7 Nov. 2025
-
Ford had recalled 175,000 vehicles on Wednesday, owing to moonroof wind deflectors detaching.—
Detroit Free Press,
Freep.com,
30 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Actually, this reality can be liberating.—
Tom Krasovic,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
5 Nov. 2025
-
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
Cite this Entry
“Loosening.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/loosening. Accessed 14 Nov. 2025.
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