1
as in relaxes
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 frees
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 unleashes
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
Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for loosens
Verb
-
Israel put that on hold until Hamas frees a civilian hostage who Israel said should have been released Saturday.—
Wafaa Shurafa,
Los Angeles Times,
26 Jan. 2025 -
Glide mode frees you up to be present with others and enjoy your surroundings.—
Paul Ridden,
New Atlas,
26 Jan. 2025
Verb
-
Doll’s action unleashes a cascade of karmic consequences, most of them violent and some perpetrated by him, that culminate in the investigator being set up to take the fall for the killing of a young female tourist and being pursued by bounty hunters sent by that cartel bagman.—
Paula L. Woods,
Los Angeles Times,
22 Dec. 2024
-
The boa uncoils and hisses, the tiger unleashes his roar.—
Jay Nordlinger,
National Review,
13 Dec. 2024
Verb
-
The Church’s commitment to academic excellence enriches education and eases the financial burden on taxpayers.—
Jason Adkins,
Twin Cities,
21 Mar. 2025
-
This choice caters directly to the needs of a cloud-first AI world and eases the integration of the new offering into existing infrastructure.—
Steve McDowell,
Forbes,
21 Mar. 2025
Verb
-
The year also began with a strong El Niño event, which occurs when the ocean in the Eastern Pacific releases large amounts of heat to the atmosphere, raising global temperatures.—
Lauren Sommer,
NPR,
24 Dec. 2024
-
Humiliated when Iran releases the hostages minutes after Reagan is inaugurated.—
Bradley Tusk,
New York Daily News,
23 Dec. 2024
Verb
-
Enrollment could continue to rise after North Carolina lawmakers this year approved a measure that unlocks funding for applications for thousands more students of all incomes to attend private school.—
Ashley Mahoney,
Axios,
17 Dec. 2024
-
The rapid evolution of AI models, particularly in generative and large language technologies, unlocks groundbreaking capabilities—but at a steep cost.—
Aparna Prabhakar,
Forbes,
17 Dec. 2024
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.
Cite this Entry
“Loosens.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/loosens. Accessed 18 May. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share