loosens

present tense third-person singular of loosen
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

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Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of loosens The heat softens and loosens debris in the carpet fibers so it can be vacuumed away. Bestreviews, Mercury News, 26 June 2026 One of the gentlest is WD-40, which loosens rust, lubricates parts, and helps protect the surface from further rusting. Brandee Gruener, Southern Living, 22 June 2026 But by the second verse, a racing beat arrives and never loosens its grip, especially as Rodrigo climbs the chorus. Melissa Ruggieri, USA Today, 12 June 2026 Today’s proclamation loosens restrictions on fishing in some of those same areas, specifically, Mau and Ho‘omalu Zones of the Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument, the Islands Unit of the Mariana Trench Marine National Monument, and the Rose Atoll Marine National Monument. Tom Tapp, Deadline, 11 June 2026 Teams experiment more broadly, deploy more agents, automate more workflows, and generate exponentially larger amounts of inference traffic once the constraint loosens. Alexander Puutio, Forbes.com, 31 May 2026 Experts advise hand-pulling weeds after a rain, which loosens the soil and makes the job much easier. Felicia Feaster, Martha Stewart, 30 May 2026 Water loosens the soil around the roots, and facilitates extraction. David Beaulieu, The Spruce, 11 May 2026 Once the gunk loosens, simply wipe the interior clean with a cloth. Mariana Best, Better Homes & Gardens, 25 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for loosens
Verb
  • Within a few minutes, the sphincter muscle usually relaxes to allow for a bowel movement.
    Anna Giorgi, Verywell Health, 28 June 2026
  • The wind relaxes a bit mid-week, but temps will still hover around the low 90s.
    Adam Del Rosso, CBS News, 27 June 2026
Verb
  • And having a clear narrative throughline frees the audience to, instead of making logistical sense of each shot, really key into the emotional and dramatic beats of the sequence.
    Sarah Shachat, IndieWire, 24 June 2026
  • To make things easier, spring for this stylish crossbody bag from Travelon, which frees up your hands while providing plenty of pockets to store your travel essentials.
    Sophie Dodd, Travel + Leisure, 23 June 2026
Verb
  • When the black hole feeds on gas, the object unleashes particles in the form of wind or jets that move at nearly the speed of light, traveling up to thousands of light-years into space.
    Jacopo Prisco, CNN Money, 16 June 2026
  • Directed by action veteran Kenji Tanigaki and produced by Bill Kong, the martial arts showcase stars Xie Miao as Wang Wei, an ordinary man who unleashes a relentless rampage against a powerful child trafficking syndicate after his daughter is kidnapped.
    Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 15 June 2026
Verb
  • Broadway ticket sales held steady last week as the newish season eases into the post-Tony summer weeks, with Chess posting strong figures during its final week and Celebrity Autobiography doing the opposite during its last bow.
    Greg Evans, Deadline, 23 June 2026
  • Long before the sun climbs high, a boat eases into the waters of Lake Maumelle.
    Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 21 June 2026
Verb
  • Harvard’s research confirms that AI liberates managers from coordination and relay tasks, freeing them for judgment, contextual intelligence, and human connection that no system can replicate.
    Brett Hurt, Fortune, 23 June 2026
  • 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
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, 23 June 2026
  • The current agreement also releases billions of Iran's frozen funds held in overseas accounts in Qatar.
    Brittney Melton, NPR, 23 June 2026
Verb
  • Story-wise, the crew is chasing the final Shadowsmith and the World Seed, with Takeo and Carver central to the Kowakujō main quest that unlocks at launch.
    Brian Mazique, Forbes.com, 25 June 2026
  • There's also Meta Glasses by Kylie, a slim oval frame designed in collaboration with model Kylie Jenner that unlocks her voice for AI assistance, for $100 more.
    New Atlas, New Atlas, 24 June 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Loosens.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/loosens. Accessed 2 Jul. 2026.

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