loosen someone's tongue — loosen someone’s tongue phrase to make someone more willing to talk about something Thesaurus: to persuade someone to tell you somethingsynonym Main entry: loosen * * * make someone talk freely * * * loosen someone s tongue : to cause someone to… … Useful english dictionary
loosen up — (someone) to behave in a relaxed, informal way. Slowly she began to loosen up and, by the second semester, she was making friends with her classmates. The question was supposed to loosen people up and chase away their anxieties … New idioms dictionary
loosen — ► VERB 1) make or become loose. 2) (loosen up) warm up in preparation for an activity. ● loosen someone s tongue Cf. ↑loosen someone s tongue DERIVATIVES loosener noun … English terms dictionary
loosen someone's tongue — ► loosen someone s tongue make someone talk freely. Main Entry: ↑loosen … English terms dictionary
loosen the reins — loosen/relax the reins tighten the reins to start to control something or someone more carefully. The Government has relaxed the reins on wage control to boost consumer spending. (often + on) … New idioms dictionary
loosen — loos|en [ˈlu:sən] v 1.) [I and T] to make something less tight or less firmly fastened, or to become less tight or less firmly fastened ≠ ↑tighten ▪ You ll need a spanner to loosen that bolt. ▪ The screws have loosened. ▪ Harry loosened his tie.… … Dictionary of contemporary English
loosen — loos|en [ lusn ] verb 1. ) intransitive or transitive to become or make something less tightly fastened: I d eaten so much I had to loosen my belt. 2. ) intransitive or transitive to become or make something less firmly fixed in position: To open … Usage of the words and phrases in modern English
loosen — [[t]lu͟ːs(ə)n[/t]] loosens, loosening, loosened 1) VERB If someone loosens restrictions or laws, for example, they make them less strict or severe. [V n] Many business groups have been pressing the Federal Reserve to loosen interest rates... [V… … English dictionary
loosen — UK [ˈluːs(ə)n] / US [ˈlus(ə)n] verb Word forms loosen : present tense I/you/we/they loosen he/she/it loosens present participle loosening past tense loosened past participle loosened 1) [intransitive/transitive] to become or make something less… … English dictionary
loosen — verb 1 (I, T) to make something less tight or less firmly fixed, or to become less tight or less firmly fixed: You ll need a spanner to loosen that bolt. | Check the plug there may be a loosened connection. 2 (T) to unfasten something, especially … Longman dictionary of contemporary English