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
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Recent Examples of loosens
Fortunately, the BreezyClear Pro is equipped to address all the baby’s needs from the beginning to the end of the decongestion process; by briefly misting the nasal passages, the device loosens mucus so its powerful suction can remove it quickly and without fuss.
—
Ethan Stone, USA Today, 28 Oct. 2025
Ray’s hand loosens its grip on the weapon.
—David Fear, Rolling Stone, 28 Sep. 2025
Paired with the vibrations of Tibetan singing bowls, the experience eases jet lag, loosens tight muscles and leaves body and mind in a state of meditative calm.
—Katharina Kotrba, Forbes.com, 17 Sep. 2025
In such a scenario, reminiscent of the ‘70s, if the Fed loosens policy prematurely, inflation could spike, leading to the painful corrective measures seen under Powell’s predecessor Paul Volcker, who hiked rates aggressively and weathered severe, double-dip recessions.
—Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 2 Sep. 2025
Director Alejo Moguillansky retains much of Fin de Partie’schoreography and structure, then carefully loosens it with comic acts of repetition and musical scoring.
—Christian Zilko, IndieWire, 7 Aug. 2025
The reasoning is that adding organic matter to any soil, especially clay soil, enhances the pore structure and loosens the soil.
—Andy Wilcox, Better Homes & Gardens, 7 Aug. 2025
Ethan Stone, USA Today, 28 Oct. 2025
Ray’s hand loosens its grip on the weapon.
—David Fear, Rolling Stone, 28 Sep. 2025
Paired with the vibrations of Tibetan singing bowls, the experience eases jet lag, loosens tight muscles and leaves body and mind in a state of meditative calm.
—Katharina Kotrba, Forbes.com, 17 Sep. 2025
In such a scenario, reminiscent of the ‘70s, if the Fed loosens policy prematurely, inflation could spike, leading to the painful corrective measures seen under Powell’s predecessor Paul Volcker, who hiked rates aggressively and weathered severe, double-dip recessions.
—Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 2 Sep. 2025
Director Alejo Moguillansky retains much of Fin de Partie’schoreography and structure, then carefully loosens it with comic acts of repetition and musical scoring.
—Christian Zilko, IndieWire, 7 Aug. 2025
The reasoning is that adding organic matter to any soil, especially clay soil, enhances the pore structure and loosens the soil.
—Andy Wilcox, Better Homes & Gardens, 7 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for loosens
Verb
-
Every schedule crescendos and relaxes in terms of travel difficulty, but the Broncos have been on a particularly brutal run recently.—
Parker Gabriel,
Denver Post,
7 Nov. 2025
-
That first episode suffers from the need to do so much heavy lifting and feels both overstuffed and overly conventional, but once all the pieces are in place, the show relaxes into itself and its actual voice emerges.—
Nicholas Quah,
Vulture,
2 Nov. 2025
Verb
-
You could be pulled toward someone who feels familiar on a soul level, or experience closure that finally frees your heart.—
Valerie Mesa,
PEOPLE,
6 Nov. 2025
-
This collaboration is with FIFA rather than individual soccer federations, which frees up Adidas to represent Argentina, Mexico, Portugal and France — only two of which are actually signed with the German brand — through this quartet of Sambas.—
Ian Servantes,
Footwear News,
31 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
The next drive Tagovailoa unleashes a half field heave into the end zone, throwing a 39-yard rainbow to Jaylen Waddle, who caught it in stride while beating rookie cornerback Maxwell Hairston.—
Miami Herald,
Miami Herald,
9 Nov. 2025
-
In Lynne Ramsay’s Die My Love, Jennifer Lawrence unleashes, in all senses of the word.—
Rachel Handler,
Vulture,
6 Nov. 2025
Verb
-
Knowing and acting on her mom’s wishes eases the burden of last-minute decision-making and prompts Dowd to take early planning into her own hands.—
Alexa Mikhail,
Flow Space,
5 Nov. 2025
-
The active noise cancellation eases low rumbles so commutes feel calmer.—
PC Magazine,
PC Magazine,
4 Nov. 2025
Verb
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Clearing missions liberates the different Hyrule regions from Ganondorf's control and earns resources to level up your characters and their weapons.—
PC Magazine,
PC Magazine,
4 Nov. 2025
-
The Prize is technically a financial award, not a grant, which liberates recipients to dream, pause, pivot, or scale on their own terms.—
Afdhel Aziz,
Forbes.com,
9 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Every weekday, the CNBC Investing Club with Jim Cramer releases the Homestretch — an actionable afternoon update, just in time for the last hour of trading on Wall Street.—
Jeff Marks,
CNBC,
5 Nov. 2025
-
The sulfur-rich stream, fed by natural springs and winds through the cavern, releases hydrogen sulfide that sustains this unexpected chain of life.—
Alice Gibbs,
MSNBC Newsweek,
5 Nov. 2025
Verb
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Below, Lokk unlocks her festival’s program and challenges to Variety.—
Annika Pham,
Variety,
7 Nov. 2025
-
After she’s brutally assaulted on her wedding night by a powerful politician (Masaya Takahashi), Jeanne (Aiko Nagayama) makes a deal with the devil (Tatsuya Nakadai) that unlocks an extraordinary power in her — not only over men but over life and death.—
Declan Gallagher,
Entertainment Weekly,
30 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Loosens.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/loosens. Accessed 11 Nov. 2025.
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