loosen

Verb

• become loose or looser or less tight
  • The noose loosened
    
  • the rope relaxed
    

• make less dense
  • loosen the soil
    

• cause to become loose
  • undo the shoelace
    
  • untie the knot
    
  • loosen the necktie
    

• disentangle and raise the fibers of
  • tease wool
    

• become less severe or strict
  • The rules relaxed after the new director arrived
    

• make less severe or strict
  • The government relaxed the curfew after most of the rebels were caught
    

• make loose or looser
  • loosen the tension on a rope
    

Related words

• Synonyms: 
  relax , loose , untie , undo , tease , tease apart