loosen

3 definitions • 4 examples

to (cause to) become loose:

The screws holding the bed together had loosened.

to make something such as your hair or a piece of clothing less tight:

He loosened his tie.

to become or make something less firmly fixed:

[ I ] The screws holding the light fixture have loosened, and it’s dangling from the ceiling.

[ T ] fig. When immigration laws were loosened, the number of immigrants shot up.