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🪢 To make less tight 📜 To relax rules 🌱 To break up soil
to loosen

to loosen

20 3.3
Make rules or limits less strict
  • verb
  • /ˈluːsən/
: relajar
  • As the event progressed, the host tried to loosen the atmosphere by telling jokes and engaging with the audience.
  • loosen restrictions
  • loosen regulations
  • loosen the rules

So they could do, you know, loosen the barriers to, to more research.

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Examples

Synonyms

to lessen
vsto loosen
72 2.8

To make something smaller in amount or strength

is narrower, focusing on reducing strictness of rules or controls
to ease up
vsto loosen
59 3.7

To make something less strong or strict

emphasizes rule easing specifically rather than general pressure reduction
to relax
vsto loosen
29 3.2

To make rules less strict

is the general everyday word for reducing rules or strictness
to deregulate
vsto loosen
22 5.8

To remove rules that the government makes for an industry or market

is broader and also applies to informal rule reduction
to liberalize
vsto loosen
11 6.3

To make laws or rules less strict to allow more freedom

is similar but applies in everyday or nonlegal contexts as well
to slacken
vsto loosen
2 5.5

Become or make less tight, like a rope

often refers to rules or restrictions rather than physical tightness
to modify
vsto loosen
2 3.5

Make something less strong or harsh

is specifically about easing rules rather than general moderation
to decontrol
vsto loosen
  • Formal
1 7.6

To remove official rules or limits set by a government

covers the same easing but in wider, nonofficial situations too
to derestrict
vsto loosen
8.6

To remove limits from something so people can use it freely

is about easing rules but with less focus on formal processes
to unconstrain
vsto loosen
7.4

To take away rules or limits so it can work more freely

is focused on rules and policies rather than physical or abstract freedom
to unclamp
vsto loosen
5.3

To remove a rule or limit so something has more freedom

is used more for rules and controls than physical fastening

Antonyms

to tighten
94 3.5

To make rules or limits stricter

Idioms

to loosen someone's tongue
  • Informal
5 6.7

Make someone talk more and tell secrets

to loosen the purse strings
  • Informal
1 6.5

To allow someone to spend more money

to loosen the apron strings
  • Informal
1 7.5

Allow a child to be more independent

Phrasal Verbs

to loosen up
  • Informal
86 3.4

To relax and become less nervous or tense

to loosen up
  • Informal
15 3.0

To make muscles less tight and more ready for exercise by stretching

How Strict

to strengthen
296 3.0
to tighten
94 3.5
to loosen
20 3.3
to relax
29 3.2

Surface Forms

loosen infinitive
loosened past
loosened past participle
loosening present participle
loosens third person singular

Morphology

loosen = loose (transparent) = loose + en

The sense 'make less strict' is a metaphorical extension but still follows the productive pattern 'make X loose' from the adjective 'loose'.

Etymology

Loosen comes from the word loose plus the verb ending -en, which means 'to make'. So to loosen a rule or control is to make it 'less strict', which is why a school or government can loosen a rule to allow more freedom.