loosen
Translation
to make less tight, to relax
Examples
He loosened his tie after the meeting.
He loosened his tie after the meeting.
The government decided to loosen restrictions.
The government decided to loosen restrictions.
Grammar Patterns
((sth.)) to make (sth.) less tight He loosened his tie.
Similar Words
Synonyms: slacken, relax, untie; Antonyms: tighten, fasten
Etymology
From 'loose' + the verb-forming suffix '-en'.
Memory Tips
The suffix '-en' often means 'to make something...'. So, 'loosen' means 'to make something loose'.