loosening up
Becoming less tense
Loosening up means becoming less tense, rigid, or formal.
Muscles loosen up with stretching; a nervous speaker loosens up after the first few minutes.
The phrase suggests a gradual relaxation: Have a drink and loosen up a little.
Athletes loosen up before competition with warm-up exercises.
Someone who loosens up becomes more at ease socially.
- taking it easyDeliberately slowing down
- easingReducing strain or difficulty
- mellowingGradually becoming softer
- unwindRelease accumulated tension
- winding downGradually decreasing toward conclusion
letting go · stretching · thawing · joking · limbering · warm-up · decompressing · destressing · ease · softening · calm down · deep breaths · slackening · playful · flexibility · chilling out · massage · casual
loosening uptightening up
Making something more secure
tensing · tightening · stiffening · clenching · contracting
loosening upclamming up
Becoming deliberately silent
withdrawing · stiffening · shutting down · freezing up · holding back
loosening uptightening up
Making something more secure
cracking down · restricting · bearing down · reining in · constraining
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