loosen
verb (used with object)
to unfasten or undo, as a bond or fetter.
have loosened
-
present perfectof loosen.present perfect
Used to describe actions that started in the past and continue into or have direct relevance to the present.
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.
A handful of states, meanwhile, have loosened restrictions barring law firms from taking outside money or are considering doing so.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 26, 2026
Anxious investors worry that underwriting standards may have loosened at private-credit firms as it rapidly grew to become a $2 trillion industry.
From MarketWatch ● Apr. 29, 2026
To address the issue, a number of states have loosened the teacher certification rules to make it easier to get more bodies in the classroom, which sounds … less than ideal.
From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 30, 2024
And the task hasn’t gotten easier as transfer rules have loosened and players have been able to earn money off name, image and likeness.
From Seattle Times ● Nov. 19, 2023
"It was fastened tight when I first came," said Claude; "but I have loosened it, so that I can take it out very quickly."
From The Lily and the Cross A Tale of Acadia by De Mille, James
