How to Use loosen in a Sentence

loosen

verb
  • He used a spade to loosen the soil.
  • She loosened the cake from the sides of the pan.
  • One of the screws had loosened a bit and had to be tightened.
  • When the meeting was over he loosened his tie.
  • After eating so much I had to loosen my belt.
  • Each generation seems to loosen the established standards of behavior.
  • Standards of behavior seem to be loosening everywhere.
  • It was found that the wheels could loosen and even fall off.
    — Peter Valdes-Dapena, CNN, 16 Nov. 2022
  • As soon as the cake comes out of the oven, run a thin knife around the edges to loosen it.
    — Joanne Kempinger Demski, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, 29 Dec. 2021
  • Scrape the bottom of the pan to loosen drippings and browned bits.
    — People Staff, Peoplemag, 17 Nov. 2022
  • This will help loosen any grease and debris built up in the grates.
    — Kaitlyn McInnis, Better Homes & Gardens, 20 Apr. 2023
  • Add broth, scraping the bottom of the pot to loosen browned bits.
    — Felicia Campbell, The Arizona Republic, 8 Apr. 2022
  • Foam rolling helps to stretch and loosen tight muscles.
    — WIRED, 17 Nov. 2023
  • The storm had loosened the piece of clay from a nearby cliff face.
    — Sonja Anderson, Smithsonian Magazine, 4 Apr. 2025
  • Swirl the rice gently with your hand to loosen the surface starch.
    — Aksha Mittapalli, Better Homes & Gardens, 29 July 2024
  • Salt the thighs, front and back, and then slide your finger under the skin to loosen it.
    — G. Daniela Galarza, Washington Post, 16 Feb. 2023
  • In the old days, we were taught to dig the hole the depth of the soil ball and then loosen 12 inches of soil in the bottom of the hole.
    — Paul Cappiello, The Courier-Journal, 3 Feb. 2023
  • If in a plastic pot, squeeze the sides to loosen the root ball and tip the pot sideways to slide it out of the pot.
    — Megan Hughes, Better Homes & Gardens, 1 Nov. 2024
  • Steam loosens any dirt on the floor, even working up sticky residue.
    — Bestreviews, Chicago Tribune, 20 Mar. 2025
  • Move to a cool place, loosen clothes, drink cool liquids, and take a cool bath.
    — Marty Munson, Men's Health, 11 July 2022
  • First, loosen the clips on both ends of the new strut using the screwdriver.
    — Maryal Miller Carter, USA TODAY, 17 Apr. 2024
  • His pace slowed down, his grip on the back of my head would loosen a little bit.
    — Hanif Abdurraqib, The New Yorker, 24 Feb. 2024
  • The month when winter’s icy grip starts to loosen, and the promise of spring is just around the corner.
    — Matt Rozo, The Mercury News, 28 Feb. 2025
  • Reheat gently on the stove, and loosen the sauce with a bit of stock or water.
    — Marianne Williams, Southern Living, 31 Jan. 2025
  • Shake pan to loosen any endives that might stick to bottom of pan.
    — Kim Sunée, Anchorage Daily News, 8 June 2023
  • All of this did little to loosen Hamas’s grip on power.
    — Marc Lynch, Foreign Affairs, 14 Oct. 2023
  • Let cool briefly, then run a butter knife around the edge of each muffin to loosen.
    — Morgan Hines, USA TODAY, 11 Jan. 2023
  • The board may still vote to loosen that restriction if that is what Mr. Trump wants.
    — Joe Rennison, New York Times, 26 Mar. 2024
  • If plants are pot-bound, loosen the roots around the bottom and sides of the root ball and spread them out in the bottom of the planting hole.
    — Mary Marlowe Leverette, Southern Living, 9 Apr. 2025
  • Submerge the greens in a large bowl of water and swish them around with your hands to loosen any dirt or grit on the leaves.
    — Vicky Hallett, NPR, 10 Apr. 2025

Some of these examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'loosen.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

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