SLACKENED Synonyms: 93 Similar and Opposite Words

slackened 1 of 2

adjective

as in loosened

not tightly fastened, tied, or stretched slackened lines

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slackened

2 of 2

verb

past tense of slacken

as in relaxed

to make less taut you'll need to slacken the rope a bit to get it free of that post

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in slowed

to cause to move or proceed at a less rapid pace drivers need to slacken their speed as they approach the sharp curve

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Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of slackened

Verb

Friday night weather The ferociously high winds that moved through the region Thursday have since slackened, but breezy conditions will linger through the weekend. — Matthew Villafane, CBS News, 19 June 2026 Pumping in recent years has slackened to an average of 705,000 acre-feet. — Allen Best, Denver Post, 14 June 2026 Contributors tried their hand at the remainder, but with so few implications left, many people drifted away; Tao’s updates slackened from their near-daily cadence to once every few weeks. — Quanta Magazine, 8 June 2026 The pace of killings slackened, with cadres told to reeducate rather than exterminate those who’d strayed. — Matthew Campbell, Bloomberg, 22 May 2026 The year before, the e-commerce platform eliminated 500 jobs, or about 4 percent of its personnel, after online spending slackened post-pandemic. — Jasmin Malik Chua, Sourcing Journal, 27 Feb. 2026 And while Braum’s has recently slackened its former rule of not venturing 300 miles from the farm (that number is now 330 miles), Beuchaw says the company does not plan to inch out any further. — Jenna Thompson, Kansas City Star, 22 Oct. 2025 The potential for sharp, disputatious cultural criticism has arguably slackened. — David Remnick, New Yorker, 2 Sep. 2025

Recent Examples of Synonyms for slackened

Adjective

The loosened restrictions will not empower Washington to pursue investment and economic cooperation with al Sharaa’s government, which could transform the impoverished country.

— Timothy Nerozzi, The Washington Examiner, 27 Aug. 2026
Scrub the metal grid with a dish sponge or brush to remove loosened debris.

— Karen Brewer Grossman, Southern Living, 21 Aug. 2026

Definition of loosened

Verb

The driver slowed down as the vehicle approached the intersection, where it was struck by a white Ford Flex traveling south on Southwest Trafficway.

— Caroline Zimmerman, Kansas City Star, 28 Aug. 2026
Previously, the browser version noticeably slowed my laptop's performance while testing the app in Google Chrome.

— Jordan Minor, PC Magazine, 28 Aug. 2026

Definition of slowed

Adjective

Stronger downdraft winds and loose, dry soil can impact how much dust is lifted into the air.

— Brandi D. Addison, AZCentral.com, 30 Aug. 2026
The Markeyverse — a loose network of meme accounts run by young progressives that Markey credited for his last election victory — has diminished.

— Laura Beveridge, Washington Post, 30 Aug. 2026

Definition of loose

Verb

One time, the car behind Murillo braked to avoid a collision, but Murillo reversed into the vehicle to cause a crash, prosecutors said.

— Alexa Herrera, CBS News, 27 Aug. 2026
Still, everything happened so fast that police could not find skid marks indicating that Lopez braked hard to avoid her.

— Ariane Lange, Sacbee.com, 6 Aug. 2026

Definition of braked

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slacken

slackened

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“Slackened.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/slackened. Accessed 2 Sep. 2026.

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Synonyms of slackened

adjective

verb

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