loosen
Americanverb (used with object)
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to unfasten or undo, as a bond or fetter.
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to make less tight; slacken or relax.
to loosen one's grasp.
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to make less firmly fixed in place.
to loosen a tooth.
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to let loose or set free from bonds, restraint, or constraint.
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to make less close or compact in structure or arrangement.
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to make less dense or coherent.
to loosen the soil in a garden.
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to relax in strictness or severity, as restraint or discipline.
to loosen restrictions on trade.
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to relieve (the bowels) of their constipated condition.
verb (used without object)
verb
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to make or become less tight, fixed, etc
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(often foll by up) to make or become less firm, compact, or rigid
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(tr) to untie
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(tr) to let loose; set free
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(often foll by up) to make or become less strict, severe, etc
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(tr) to rid or relieve (the bowels) of constipation
Other Word Forms
- loosener noun
Etymology
Origin of loosen
First recorded in 1350–1400, loosen is from the Middle English word loosnen. See loose, -en 1
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
But his favorite sport hasn’t looked the same since a minor tweak in Major League Baseball’s rulebook before the 2019 season loosened the color restrictions on player cleats.
"I don't see any way that the chancellor is going to find a way out of this without finding a way to loosen the rules around what we're willing to borrow," he said.
From BBC
Meanwhile, in the U.S., a company launched by the former head of Glencore’s recycling business wants to harvest metals from old electronics as the U.S. seeks to loosen China’s grip on refining.
A spokesman for Minnesota’s Medicaid agency said rapid increases in treatment availability and loosened Covid-era guidelines could explain the high billing, adding, “high utilization alone does not indicate fraud.”
It frequently disagrees with Meta's rulings, but the company has nevertheless continued to loosen its approach to policing content, raising questions about how much power the board actually wields.
From BBC
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
