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loosen

From Wiktionary

Word parts

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loose + -en

Pronunciation

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Verb

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Plain form
loosen

Third-person singular
loosens

Past tense
loosened

Past participle
loosened

Present participle
loosening

  1. (transitive & intransitive) If you loosen something, you make it looser.
    Can you loosen the lid on this jar for me.
    His grip on the gun loosened, but only for a second.
    Before you plant the seeds, lift the soil to loosen it without actually turning it over.
  2. (intransitive) If somebody loosens up, they become more relaxed.
    She loosened up after she'd had a glass of wine.
  3. (transitive & intransitive) If your joints or muscles loosen up, they start to move more easily.
    I took a deep breath, and I could feel the muscles in my chest loosen.
  4. (transitive) If you loosen somebody's tongue, you make them talk about something they would not talk about before.
    But what truly loosened my tongue was knowing I was on home ground.
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