relax
verb (used with object)
to make less tense, rigid, or firm; make lax.
had relaxed
-
past perfectof relax.past perfect
Used to express a completed action that took place before another specific past action occurred.
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.
And in the past decade, the agency had relaxed earlier restrictions, including a requirement that pregnant women visit a doctor’s office to obtain the pills.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 7, 2026
Crude oil prices ended Friday at five-week lows as tensions had relaxed.
From MarketWatch ● Apr. 19, 2026
The trend had relaxed in December, but Oracle credit default swap prices began rising again after the earnings release.
From Barron's ● Dec. 10, 2025
By 2016 and 2021, however, the agency had relaxed this requirement, and today, it allows providers to prescribe the medication via telehealth and have it mailed to patients, and no in-person visit is required.
From Slate ● Dec. 13, 2023
The man with the twisted face pointed and his closest companion, a podgy, pallid man, started forward, but a moment later they had relaxed into their previous state of inactivity, looking frustrated and disappointed.
From "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows" by J.K. Rowling
