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
2
as in frees
to set free (as from slavery or confinement)
the dog ran after the squirrel after he was loosened from the post
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in unleashes
to set free (from a state of being held in check)
once he got to know us better, his inhibitions loosened a bit
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of loosens
Fortunately, the BreezyClear Pro is equipped to address all the baby’s needs from the beginning to the end of the decongestion process; by briefly misting the nasal passages, the device loosens mucus so its powerful suction can remove it quickly and without fuss.
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Ethan Stone, USA Today, 28 Oct. 2025
Ray’s hand loosens its grip on the weapon.
—David Fear, Rolling Stone, 28 Sep. 2025
Paired with the vibrations of Tibetan singing bowls, the experience eases jet lag, loosens tight muscles and leaves body and mind in a state of meditative calm.
—Katharina Kotrba, Forbes.com, 17 Sep. 2025
In such a scenario, reminiscent of the ‘70s, if the Fed loosens policy prematurely, inflation could spike, leading to the painful corrective measures seen under Powell’s predecessor Paul Volcker, who hiked rates aggressively and weathered severe, double-dip recessions.
—Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 2 Sep. 2025
Director Alejo Moguillansky retains much of Fin de Partie’schoreography and structure, then carefully loosens it with comic acts of repetition and musical scoring.
—Christian Zilko, IndieWire, 7 Aug. 2025
The reasoning is that adding organic matter to any soil, especially clay soil, enhances the pore structure and loosens the soil.
—Andy Wilcox, Better Homes & Gardens, 7 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for loosens
Verb
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Every schedule crescendos and relaxes in terms of travel difficulty, but the Broncos have been on a particularly brutal run recently.—
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That first episode suffers from the need to do so much heavy lifting and feels both overstuffed and overly conventional, but once all the pieces are in place, the show relaxes into itself and its actual voice emerges.—
Verb
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Inter Miami is paying a $2 million transfer fee to get Ayala, who signed with Portland under the U22 Initiative, which allows clubs to sign lucrative contracts for young prospects at a reduced salary roster cost, which frees up salary cap space.—
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The move most likely frees up Cooper to spend more time with the offense as a whole.—
Verb
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The next drive Tagovailoa unleashes a half field heave into the end zone, throwing a 39-yard rainbow to Jaylen Waddle, who caught it in stride while beating rookie cornerback Maxwell Hairston.—
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In Lynne Ramsay’s Die My Love, Jennifer Lawrence unleashes, in all senses of the word.—
Verb
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Listening first eases tension and helps plans click into place.—
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However, some people find that lemon water eases bloating.—
Verb
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Clearing missions liberates the different Hyrule regions from Ganondorf's control and earns resources to level up your characters and their weapons.—
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The Prize is technically a financial award, not a grant, which liberates recipients to dream, pause, pivot, or scale on their own terms.—
Verb
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That gas feeds the central black hole, which then releases gentle energy—enough to prevent new stars from forming, but not enough to destroy the galaxy.—
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Take a look at this week’s best new music releases below.—
Verb
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Below, Lokk unlocks her festival’s program and challenges to Variety.—
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After she’s brutally assaulted on her wedding night by a powerful politician (Masaya Takahashi), Jeanne (Aiko Nagayama) makes a deal with the devil (Tatsuya Nakadai) that unlocks an extraordinary power in her — not only over men but over life and death.—
Cite this Entry
“Loosens.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/loosens. Accessed 13 Jan. 2026.
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