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
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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
House Bill 1095 is a good piece of legislation tarred by a bad amendment that loosens requirements for public notices.
—
The Denver Post Editorial Board, Denver Post, 28 Feb. 2026
Raking also loosens the soil which will provide better seed-to-soil contact.
—Kim Toscano, Southern Living, 28 Feb. 2026
Affordable housing bill loosens income limits This year’s draft requires average rents to be affordable to residents earning the 60% area median income.
—Mark Dee, Idaho Statesman, 26 Feb. 2026
The Department of the Interior finalized its overhaul of the nation’s bedrock environmental law on Monday, which loosens oversight on logging, mining, oil and gas development, and other industrial projects.
—Christine Peterson, Outdoor Life, 25 Feb. 2026
Time, especially in the second half of life, loosens your grip and offers perspective.
—Dimity McDowell, Time, 24 Feb. 2026
As winter slowly loosens its grip, the animal rehabilitators hope rising temperatures will ease the strain on wildlife.
—John Dias, CBS News, 21 Feb. 2026
Once the gunk loosens, simply wipe the interior clean with a cloth.
—Mariana Best, Better Homes & Gardens, 15 Feb. 2026
Being a fan of a cultural artifact means being a passionate reader (in a broader sense that also includes viewer, listener, audience, co-creator, and that also loosens and points out the porous border between work, creator, recipient).
—Literary Hub, 13 Feb. 2026
The Denver Post Editorial Board, Denver Post, 28 Feb. 2026
Raking also loosens the soil which will provide better seed-to-soil contact.
—Kim Toscano, Southern Living, 28 Feb. 2026
Affordable housing bill loosens income limits This year’s draft requires average rents to be affordable to residents earning the 60% area median income.
—Mark Dee, Idaho Statesman, 26 Feb. 2026
The Department of the Interior finalized its overhaul of the nation’s bedrock environmental law on Monday, which loosens oversight on logging, mining, oil and gas development, and other industrial projects.
—Christine Peterson, Outdoor Life, 25 Feb. 2026
Time, especially in the second half of life, loosens your grip and offers perspective.
—Dimity McDowell, Time, 24 Feb. 2026
As winter slowly loosens its grip, the animal rehabilitators hope rising temperatures will ease the strain on wildlife.
—John Dias, CBS News, 21 Feb. 2026
Once the gunk loosens, simply wipe the interior clean with a cloth.
—Mariana Best, Better Homes & Gardens, 15 Feb. 2026
Being a fan of a cultural artifact means being a passionate reader (in a broader sense that also includes viewer, listener, audience, co-creator, and that also loosens and points out the porous border between work, creator, recipient).
—Literary Hub, 13 Feb. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for loosens
Verb
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Don’t be afraid to suggest budget caps for group plans, because everyone relaxes when guidelines are simple and visible.—
Tarot.com,
Sun Sentinel,
12 Mar. 2026
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Rising Star in Beverly Hills Gable relaxes on the veranda of his new Beverly Hills rental home in this 1931 photo, which accompanied an article in Screenland magazine.—
Katie Schultz,
Architectural Digest,
24 Feb. 2026
Verb
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But for occasional rice preparation, the stovetop method works perfectly well — and frees up valuable counter and cabinet space.—
Kansas City Star,
Kansas City Star,
11 Mar. 2026
-
That frees up the conversation surrounding optimal deployment of the big outscorers.—
Allan Mitchell,
New York Times,
11 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Oreade, the fine dining restaurant, is where Chef Riccardo Bacciottini unleashes his creativity and technical prowess, using local ingredients (many plucked right from the hotel’s gardens) to make sublime dishes like tomato tartare with basil and miso or artichokes confited with pepper sauce.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
18 Mar. 2026
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That pregnancy question is before this really unprofessional moment where Robby unleashes on Mohan.—
Roxana Hadadi,
Vulture,
13 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Carmelia, the Westminster mayor, says there is nothing to do but hope that the supply side of the water ledger eases up after the start of spring on Friday.—
John Aguilar,
Denver Post,
15 Mar. 2026
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As for Toth adjusting to the academic lifestyle at MIT, the school eases in freshmen during the first semester.—
Jeff Vorva,
Chicago Tribune,
12 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Where Beyoncé added poetic interludes between songs, in Songs from the Hole, the audience learns about Jacobs' story and how his music spiritually liberates him while simultaneously being among the reasons officials cited for not granting him parole.—
Kara Frame,
NPR,
12 Mar. 2026
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Nuclear fusion, like in the Sun, liberates 630 trillion joules for each kilogram of hydrogen fuel.—
Big Think,
Big Think,
16 Feb. 2026
Verb
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In this multilingual ecosystem, Bollywood refers to the influential part of the industry located in Mumbai, which mostly releases films in Hindi.—
Taran Khan,
The Dial,
24 Mar. 2026
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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,
24 Mar. 2026
Verb
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What is the key that unlocks a Tuesday night for you?—
Chris Morocco,
Bon Appetit Magazine,
18 Mar. 2026
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The card technically earns rewards as Chase Ultimate Rewards® points ($1 cash back = 100 points), which unlocks all sorts of rewards possibilities when paired with the right premium Chase card.—
Ryley Amond,Jason Stauffer,
CNBC,
17 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Loosens.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/loosens. Accessed 26 Mar. 2026.
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