1
as in to chill
to get rid of nervous tension or anxiety
she took deep breaths to relax before going on stage
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
3
as in to bask
to refrain from labor or exertion
I just want to kick back and relax after mowing that huge lawn
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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Recent Examples of relax
The performance of the big meal is done, the mood has relaxed, the more distasteful guests are long gone.
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Helen Rosner, The New Yorker, 28 Nov. 2024
Despite the theatrics, beavers usually relax quickly after discovering the newcomer doesn’t pose a threat.
—Cecilia Rodriguez, Forbes, 26 Nov. 2024
Travelers can enjoy a city vacation at the 52-story Atlanta Marriott Marquis, complete with floor-to-ceiling windows boasting unmatched views of Atlanta’s skyline, or relax in the lazy river and play a round of golf at the JW Marriott Orlando, Grande Lakes.
—Alison Fox, Travel + Leisure, 26 Nov. 2024
Summer days in the high mountains cede to relaxing evenings on the casual confines of Main Street.
—James Dziezynski, Outside Online, 10 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for relax 
Helen Rosner, The New Yorker, 28 Nov. 2024
Despite the theatrics, beavers usually relax quickly after discovering the newcomer doesn’t pose a threat.
—Cecilia Rodriguez, Forbes, 26 Nov. 2024
Travelers can enjoy a city vacation at the 52-story Atlanta Marriott Marquis, complete with floor-to-ceiling windows boasting unmatched views of Atlanta’s skyline, or relax in the lazy river and play a round of golf at the JW Marriott Orlando, Grande Lakes.
—Alison Fox, Travel + Leisure, 26 Nov. 2024
Summer days in the high mountains cede to relaxing evenings on the casual confines of Main Street.
—James Dziezynski, Outside Online, 10 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for relax
Recent Examples of Synonyms for relax
Verb
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Hathaway will play the reclusive titular Verity, whose latest unfinished manuscript includes chilling admissions about Verity and her family’s past.Samantha Bergeson, IndieWire, 20 Nov. 2024
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Lowen accepts the gig but uncovers dark secrets in the process — including an unfinished manuscript that hints at chilling admissions about Verity and her family’s past — leaving Lowen to determine if Verity is a gifted fictionist or deranged psychopath.Rebecca Rubin, Variety, 20 Nov. 2024
Verb
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The fact that the Catholic Church held so much sway over the Republic of Ireland’s political institutions for so long ensured that, once the shackles were loosened, the South more or less speedran the entire postwar era in the past 30 years.Nate Jones, Vulture, 18 Nov. 2024
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Trump has generally pledged to extend or enact major tax cuts while loosening regulations, something that the business community is set to embrace.Rob Wile, NBC News, 6 Nov. 2024
Verb
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Dwight basking in the adulation of his band of misfits, all of whom adore him for being so adorable.Sean T. Collins, Vulture, 17 Nov. 2024
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Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Joe Kelly basked in the team's World Series victory Friday when he and his teammates were paraded around the city of Los Angeles.David Faris, Newsweek, 4 Nov. 2024
Verb
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This soothing oil to calm your nerves Get this for the person in your life who has trouble unwinding and could use something to help melt away their stress (aka me).Kate Kassin, Bon Appétit, 6 Nov. 2024
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The interiors of these suites are filled with handcrafted and individually placed Greek marble pieces, including deep marble soaking tubs — the perfect way to unwind further at the end of the day.Alessandra Amodio, Travel + Leisure, 5 Nov. 2024
Verb
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Below Nancy Nehring's house, a hunk of metal rested on the sidewalk.Leo Bertucci, The Courier-Journal, 22 Nov. 2024
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The old Kentucky city of about 13,500 people rests approximately 40 miles south of Louisville.Grace Tucker, The Enquirer, 20 Nov. 2024
Verb
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Set up a group activity Experts tell Fortune another way to decompress amid a tense election cycle is to bring workers together in a positive way.Emma Burleigh, Fortune, 4 Nov. 2024
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Take this opportunity to decompress and take stock of your inner landscape, because Mars will return to Cancer while retrograde in January, and your training montage will resume at that point—just maybe without so much of the relational intensity and shadowy opponents.Steph Koyfman, Condé Nast Traveler, 28 Oct. 2024
Thesaurus Entries Near relax
Cite this Entry
“Relax.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/relax. Accessed 3 Dec. 2024.
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