LOOSENS Synonyms: 92 Similar and Opposite Words

loosens

verb

present tense third-person singular of loosen

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

as in frees

to set free (as from slavery or confinement) the dog ran after the squirrel after he was loosened from the post

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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

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 loosens Earlier may be possible, the doctor replied, if the skin around her surgical scar loosens. — Jesse Bedayn, Los Angeles Times, 25 Oct. 2026 As California loosens its grip as the filming capital of the world, New York is drawing big-name titles at a much faster pace, according to industry tracker ProdPro’s quarterly snapshot released last week. — Winston Cho, HollywoodReporter, 21 Oct. 2026 When the lid loosens, LINE1 jumps around, DNA damage piles up and biological aging speeds up. — Hanna Wickes, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 16 Oct. 2026 Fixing Loose Tiles With Hot Glue When tile loosens, one apparently clever home DIY is to reapply it with a hot glue gun. — Lee Wallender, The Spruce, 15 Oct. 2026 Wellhouse Leisure The full Schnierle system begins with airline-style track embedded in the flooring and a quick-press lever that loosens the seat base for repositioning and removal. — New Atlas, 22 Sep. 2026 Blonde loosens the plot, leaning into the unreliability of memory and the false truths that occupy the gaps between love and certainty. — Jeff Ihaza, Rolling Stone, 20 Aug. 2026 In Antonioni’s film, after a woman disappears during a boating vacation, her partner and her best friend travel around looking for her, while the bond between them tightens and their grip on the threads of certainty loosens. — Richard Brody, New Yorker, 19 Aug. 2026 November 22 – December 21 Fresh laughter loosens rigid thinking and plans. — Tarot.com, Baltimore Sun, 10 Aug. 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for loosens

Verb

Corcoran relaxes with Max in the library on a circa 1900 French iron daybed settee from Fireside Antiques in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.

— David Foxley, Architectural Digest, 21 Oct. 2026
Once normal breathing resumes, parasympathetic influence increases, and the body relaxes big time.

— Jessica Sulima, Condé Nast Traveler, 10 Oct. 2026

Definition of relaxes

Verb

Special envoy Steve Witkoff praises President Vladimir Putin after Russia frees a retired American teacher.

— David Hickey, NBC news, 21 Oct. 2026
That frees up human operators to focus on big-picture decisions, such as monitoring weather forecasts, running flight simulations for possible paths, and then chaining together a series of navigational waypoints for the smoothest possible journey.

— Jeremy Hsu, ArsTechnica, 19 Oct. 2026

Definition of frees

Verb

The footage shows Galadriel (Morfydd Clark), Elrond (Robert Aramayo) and Gandalf (Daniel Weyman) rallying the forces of Middle-earth amid battles and romance as Sauron (Charlie Vickers) unleashes his forces.

— James Hibberd, HollywoodReporter, 21 Oct. 2026
The church unleashes a campaign—online and onsite—demanding the family’s religious freedom, and the most fervent outcry and mobilization come from the political far right.

— Richard Brody, New Yorker, 15 Oct. 2026

Definition of unleashes

Verb

At the same time, reducing the amount of energy entering the system eases the load on mitochondria and reduces oxidative stress.

— Rowan Jacobsen, Scientific American, 20 Oct. 2026
Opponents insist that the proposition eases the way for construction of massive data centers.

— Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 19 Oct. 2026

Definition of eases

Verb

Today’s the day that restaurants’ dreams come true, as the Michelin Guide American South releases its selections for the top destinations worth visiting in Charlotte and throughout the region.

— Heidi Finley, Charlotte Observer, 21 Oct. 2026
Recent criticism The century-old restaurant guide is famous for its secrecy; its inspectors are anonymous and the company releases only vague information about their evaluation process.

— Henri Hollis, AJC.com, 20 Oct. 2026

Definition of releases

Verb

Ownership also unlocks the wider infrastructure of the resort itself.

— Nick Scott, Robb Report, 17 Oct. 2026
Final Thoughts By removing the camera, the Ray-Ban Meta Audio eliminates the privacy baggage of smart glasses and unlocks a far more practical everyday device.

— Will Greenwald, PC Magazine, 13 Oct. 2026