as in to facilitate
to free from obstruction or difficulty
hoped that adding a second lane would loosen up traffic on that street
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in to relax
to get rid of nervous tension or anxiety
a high-pressure job that makes it hard for him to loosen up even on weekends
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Examples 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 (up)
Bill Goodykoontz, The Arizona Republic, 11 Nov. 2024
The nation’s ports loosened up the backlog of container ships, cutting freight prices dramatically and lowering costs for retailers.
—Max Zahn, ABC News, 11 Oct. 2024
But perhaps most important, Out of Sight is where Clooney learned to loosen up on-camera, shedding the stiff self-consciousness that hampered his previous film performances.
—Will Leitch, Vulture, 29 Sep. 2024
Buffalo’s unwillingness to loosen up the purse strings has had a profound negative effect on how confident the team’s fans currently feel, putting the Sabres’ vision rightfully in question.
—Dom Luszczyszyn, The Athletic, 6 Aug. 2024
See all Example Sentences for loosen (up) 
Verb
At a stop at a memorial to Polish soldiers Benji coerces the group into posing for goofy photos, everyone loosening up, getting into it.
—Bill Goodykoontz, The Arizona Republic, 11 Nov. 2024
The nation’s ports loosened up the backlog of container ships, cutting freight prices dramatically and lowering costs for retailers.
—Max Zahn, ABC News, 11 Oct. 2024
But perhaps most important, Out of Sight is where Clooney learned to loosen up on-camera, shedding the stiff self-consciousness that hampered his previous film performances.
—Will Leitch, Vulture, 29 Sep. 2024
Buffalo’s unwillingness to loosen up the purse strings has had a profound negative effect on how confident the team’s fans currently feel, putting the Sabres’ vision rightfully in question.
—Dom Luszczyszyn, The Athletic, 6 Aug. 2024
See all Example Sentences for loosen (up)
Thesaurus Entries Near loosen (up)
Cite this Entry
“Loosen (up).” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/loosen%20%28up%29. Accessed 18 Jan. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share