as in to facilitate
to free from obstruction or difficulty
hoped that adding a second lane would loosen up traffic on that street
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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
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Examples Sentences
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Recent Examples of loosen (up)
Dom Luszczyszyn, The Athletic, 6 Aug. 2024
Many elite-level ski boots still have a lacing system that can loosen up over the course of a few kilometers.
—Stephanie Pearson, Outside Online, 10 Oct. 2024
Do Blake and Yachty come out of this odd-couple experience loosening up in their respective solo catalogues?
—Craig Jenkins, Vulture, 3 July 2024
In addition to the hot liquid helping to loosen up any congestion in your nasal passages, some chicken soups may also offer the following nutritional benefits:4
Fluids from the broth or soup base
Protein and zinc through chicken
Vitamin A from carrots
Vitamin C from celery or onions
4.
—Cristina Mutchler, Verywell Health, 30 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for loosen (up) 
Verb
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
Many elite-level ski boots still have a lacing system that can loosen up over the course of a few kilometers.
—Stephanie Pearson, Outside Online, 10 Oct. 2024
Do Blake and Yachty come out of this odd-couple experience loosening up in their respective solo catalogues?
—Craig Jenkins, Vulture, 3 July 2024
In addition to the hot liquid helping to loosen up any congestion in your nasal passages, some chicken soups may also offer the following nutritional benefits:4
Fluids from the broth or soup base
Protein and zinc through chicken
Vitamin A from carrots
Vitamin C from celery or onions
4.
—Cristina Mutchler, Verywell Health, 30 Oct. 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 Dec. 2024.
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