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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Recent Examples of loosening
Caroline Lubinsky, Martha Stewart, 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
Meanwhile, Noina uses her elbows, knees and feet to administer a satisfyingly joint-loosening Thai massage.
—Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 2 June 2026
Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth has frequently lambasted the military for loosening physical fitness requirements.
—Cybele Mayes-Osterman, USA Today, 29 May 2026
The deal could generate tens of billions of dollars in revenue, loosening Nvidia's grip on the market in the process.
—Emma Hinchliffe, Fortune, 27 May 2026
The results suggest a broad surge in support for loosening restrictions on research into substances such as psilocybin and MDMA to probe their potential for medical use.
—Jackie Flynn Mogensen, Scientific American, 13 May 2026
Using a butter knife, remove thin outer membrane on back of ribs by loosening and pulling it off; discard.
—Jasmine Smith, Southern Living, 9 May 2026
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
That necessitated a loosening of the purse-strings, and achieving regular Champions League football made that a possibility.
—James McNicholas, New York Times, 19 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
Iran’s loosening of Hormuz restrictions opens at least an opportunity for Iraq to resume some seaborne shipments, though other hurdles remain, including a lack of clarity on when and by how much the nation’s oil fields can ramp up output.
—Patrick Sykes, Fortune, 4 Apr. 2026
What remains unknown is what Cuban officials are prepared to concede or change in exchange for the loosening of restrictions.
—Francesca Chambers, USA Today, 1 Apr. 2026
Verb
After loosening the debris, vacuum it up, Flores says.
—Caroline Lubinsky, Martha Stewart, 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
Meanwhile, Noina uses her elbows, knees and feet to administer a satisfyingly joint-loosening Thai massage.
—Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 2 June 2026
Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth has frequently lambasted the military for loosening physical fitness requirements.
—Cybele Mayes-Osterman, USA Today, 29 May 2026
The deal could generate tens of billions of dollars in revenue, loosening Nvidia's grip on the market in the process.
—Emma Hinchliffe, Fortune, 27 May 2026
The results suggest a broad surge in support for loosening restrictions on research into substances such as psilocybin and MDMA to probe their potential for medical use.
—Jackie Flynn Mogensen, Scientific American, 13 May 2026
Using a butter knife, remove thin outer membrane on back of ribs by loosening and pulling it off; discard.
—Jasmine Smith, Southern Living, 9 May 2026
Noun
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
That necessitated a loosening of the purse-strings, and achieving regular Champions League football made that a possibility.
—James McNicholas, New York Times, 19 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
Iran’s loosening of Hormuz restrictions opens at least an opportunity for Iraq to resume some seaborne shipments, though other hurdles remain, including a lack of clarity on when and by how much the nation’s oil fields can ramp up output.
—Patrick Sykes, Fortune, 4 Apr. 2026
What remains unknown is what Cuban officials are prepared to concede or change in exchange for the loosening of restrictions.
—Francesca Chambers, USA Today, 1 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for loosening
Verb
-
Orange blossom Similar to lemon verbena, orange blossom is calming, antispasmodic (relaxing the muscles in the walls of your internal organs), and anti-nausea.—
Mélanie Defouilloy,
Vogue,
6 June 2026
-
There’s also plenty of time for relaxing poolside and browsing boutiques built into the schedule.—
Beth Luberecki,
USA Today,
6 June 2026
Verb
-
The generation that rode cheap college, rising home prices, and the 401(k) revolution into late career was expected to bow out gracefully, freeing up houses and jobs for their kids and grandkids.—
Nick Lichtenberg,
Fortune,
7 June 2026
-
Letting go of control to obtain a vision or fantasy and falling down the rabbit hole is freeing and dreamy — but only for the right person.—
Lisa Stardust,
PEOPLE,
6 June 2026
Verb
-
Afroman experienced a cultural renaissance after unleashing that satirical wit following a 2022 raid on his Ohio farmhouse by local sheriff's deputies.—
Andrew Graham
May 28,
Sacbee.com,
28 May 2026
-
Fusion is the opposite of fission, which uses heavy elements such as uranium and plutonium and splits atoms into two or more parts, unleashing energy.—
Judith Kohler,
Denver Post,
27 May 2026
Noun
-
Her face, usually settled into a general look of detachment, would take on deeply significant expressions, all revolving around a plea for forgiveness.—
Andrea Bajani,
New Yorker,
7 June 2026
-
Luna spends the day in the socially conscious sign of Aquarius, shifting the emotional tone toward intellect, perspective, eccentricity and detachment.—
Valerie Mesa,
PEOPLE,
5 June 2026
Verb
-
Fortunately, the dry spell may be easing.—
David Pogue,
CBS News,
7 June 2026
-
The moves easing capital inflows will help the rupee, which has been mostly falling due to the strong currency outflows, Krishna Bhimavarapu, APAC economist at State Street Global Advisors, told CNBC.—
Priyanka Salve,
CNBC,
5 June 2026
Verb
-
Eventually, the police stopped releasing updates.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
10 June 2026
-
Swift surprised fans hours after the song went live by releasing an accompanying music video.—
Gina Kalsi,
PEOPLE,
10 June 2026
Verb
-
The debate has become a clash between preserving a distinctive, architecturally significant concrete landmark and unlocking the commercial potential of the land beneath it.—
Steve Pickett,
CBS News,
10 June 2026
-
This follows recent federal changes on cannabis, potentially unlocking a lot of investor money for the industry.—
Jason Gewirtz,
CNBC,
9 June 2026
Verb
-
Shortly after, Waldorf's placenta had trouble detaching.—
Vanessa Etienne,
PEOPLE,
2 June 2026
-
Visual effects company Weta created the effect of Vecna’s head detaching from his body.—
Emily Zemler,
Los Angeles Times,
1 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Loosening.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/loosening. Accessed 11 Jun. 2026.
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