From Longman Dictionary of Contemporary Englishloosenloos‧en /ˈluːsən/ ●○○ verb 1 [intransitive, transitive]LOOSE to make something less tight or less firmly fastened, or to become less tight or less firmly fastened OPP tighten You’ll need a spanner to loosen that bolt. The screws have loosened. Harry loosened his tie.2 [transitive]STRICT to make laws, rules etc less strict SYN relax OPP tighten Congress has loosened the restrictions on immigration.3 → loosen your grip/hold4 → loosen somebody’s tongue → loosen up→ See Verb table
Examples from the Corpus
loosen• Loosen any tight clothing, and lay the patient on his side.• Major's attachment to free market doctrine has been loosened by the public's refusal to let short-termism shut Britain's pits.• Eric leaned back in his chair and loosened his belt.• A comrade loosened his grasp, and his faithful gray stood quietly..• When the policeman loosened his grip, Biff ran away.• Finally, he decides to unbuckle his belt, loosen his pants, sit back and relax.• Bill loosened his tie and lit a cigarette.• Carter took off his jacket and loosened his tie.• But presently the crowd loosened into smaller groups and a good many people went off into the village or set off for outlying farms.• I'd eaten so much that I had to loosen my belt.• After the meal we all had to loosen our belts.• Congress has loosened some of the restrictions on immigration.• He regained his sight after treatment with ointment, which eventually loosened the glue.• He grasped one of the mules and began to loosen the hitch that held its load.• He took a screwdriver from his pocket and began loosening the screws that secured the steel bars to the window frame.• Could you loosen this lid for me?• These are good characteristics, but you need to loosen up a little.• Claire used to try to get her to loosen up over a drink. 