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.
States such as California and New York have loosened regulations around building accessory dwelling units in recent years.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 5, 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
Last fall, Rep. Mike Volz, R-Spokane, and Rep. Suzanne Schmidt, R-Spokane Valley, began working on a proposed law that would have loosened the heat pump requirement for homeowners rebuilding after the Spokane County fires.
From Seattle Times ● Feb. 6, 2024
"You have loosened our tongues, and have taught us that thoughts should be spoken out freely, or nothing will come of them; and now something has indeed come of it—we are betrothed."
From What the Moon Saw: and Other Tales by H. W. (Henry William) Dulcken
