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as in to relax
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

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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 loosen The wind loosened the sign on W.B. Stalley’s 5 and 10 cent store on Main Street North, the sign breaking the show window. Kay Johnson, Twin Cities, 7 Feb. 2025 Microwave pepper jelly in a small microwavable bowl on HIGH until loosened, about 10 seconds. Giovanna Vazquez, Southern Living, 5 Feb. 2025 If Vonn’s implant does loosen, doctors can fix it, with either another partial or full knee replacement. Peggy Shinn, Outside Online, 31 Jan. 2025 Reheat gently on the stove, and loosen the sauce with a bit of stock or water. Marianne Williams, Southern Living, 31 Jan. 2025 See All Example Sentences for loosen
Recent Examples of Synonyms for loosen
Verb
  • Thailand has also relaxed visa policies to attract visitors.
    Denni Hu, WWD, 15 Feb. 2025
  • Having uploaded a handful of videos showing the dog and cat relaxing and getting ready for walks, a recent clip shared on January 26 proved particularly popular, racking up almost 25,000 likes.
    Josh Hammer, Newsweek, 14 Feb. 2025
Verb
  • More than two-thirds of retirees with debt carry balances on their credit cards, according to the 2024 Spending in Retirement survey, released in November by the nonprofit Employee Benefit Research Institute, or EBRI.
    Daniel de Visé, USA TODAY, 16 Feb. 2025
  • The movie will be released by A24 in the fall, with an awards season campaign in the works for Bryne.
    Patrick Brzeski, The Hollywood Reporter, 15 Feb. 2025
Verb
  • The shooting unleashed a flood of online complaints about U.S. health care.
    Alex Harring,Annika Kim Constantino, CNBC, 21 Feb. 2025
  • If this production misses some of the heartbreak of the original piece, the chaos unleashed when Serebryakov returns home with his young wife Yelena (Ito Aghayere) in tow creates a lovely sense of intimacy amid the melancholy.
    Karen D'Souza, The Mercury News, 21 Feb. 2025
Verb
  • Nearly two-thirds of employers said easing inflation, stabilizing interest rates and a steady unemployment rate should support headcount growth this year, according to a survey conducted last fall.
    Bailey Schulz, USA TODAY, 15 Feb. 2025
  • However, investors’ worries were eased as Trump held off from implementing levies immediately.
    Pia Singh,Sawdah Bhaimiya, CNBC, 14 Feb. 2025
Verb
  • He was released by Hamas earlier this month after 484 days of captivity, one of the 19 Israeli hostages freed alive under the January 2025 ceasefire deal.
    Mohammed Tawfeeq, CNN, 21 Feb. 2025
  • The idea is to free you up to comfortably use the car's infotainment screen, talk to co-passengers, and catch up on books or videos on long journeys and commutes.
    New Atlas, New Atlas, 21 Feb. 2025
Verb
  • There are other storylines besides the sisters’ crusade to liberate that currency from its frozen prison as well.
    David Fear, Rolling Stone, 14 Feb. 2025
  • Trump's announcement came shortly after Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth told allies that Ukraine cannot liberate all territory occupied by Russian forces and will not be given NATO security protection as part of any peace deal.
    David Brennan, ABC News, 13 Feb. 2025
Verb
  • Even before the rains, rockslides loosed by the wildfire had tumbled onto the road.
    Trevor Hughes, USA TODAY, 8 Feb. 2025
  • Between the lines: OpenAI views Operator as the first baby steps toward loosing its AI on the world beyond ChatGPT's window.
    Megan Morrone, Axios, 24 Jan. 2025
Verb
  • The announcement comes barely two years after Amazon rescued the series from cancellation, marking a bittersweet end to the show’s 40-year legacy.
    Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 21 Feb. 2025
  • Israeli forces have rescued eight and have recovered dozens of bodies of people killed in the initial attack or who died in captivity.
    Mohammad Jahjouh, Los Angeles Times, 20 Feb. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Loosen.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/loosen. Accessed 28 Feb. 2025.

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