SLACKENING Synonyms: 114 Similar and Opposite Words

slackening 1 of 2

adjective

as in softening

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Dissimilar Words

slackening

2 of 2

verb

present participle of slacken

as in loosening

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in slowing

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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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

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 slackening

Verb

Still further downstream the channel broadens out, and the slackening current has deposited débris and deadheads galore. — Harry H. Edel, Outdoor Life, 19 Aug. 2026 Another factor was the slackening appeal of industrial companies, which had long absorbed the greatest number of young graduates. — Literary Hub, 15 May 2026 Hammers tapped slackening fibers and instead of the pleasant overtones of a major scale, a nauseating cacophony swelled from the instrument’s wooden belly. — Sasha Geffen, Pitchfork, 21 Jan. 2026 There was still a risk of more flash flooding and mudslides Friday despite slackening rain around Los Angeles, the National Weather Service warned. — Ty Oneil, Arkansas Online, 27 Dec. 2025

Recent Examples of Synonyms for slackening

Adjective

Lead—dense but yielding, silvery but ashen, handy but deadly—was long used for this purpose.

— Kyle Devine, Longreads, 14 July 2026
After soaking in the salad for a while, the raisins plumped and swelled, adding a yielding explosivity.

— Cooking Editor, Los Angeles Times, 10 July 2026

Definition of yielding

Verb

Softer labor figures would justify a balanced approach at the Warsh Fed, leading the committee to take the employment side of the institution's dual mandate into consideration, effectively loosening financial conditions.

— Justina Lee,Fred Imbert, CNBC, 31 Aug. 2026
The risk of diversion, addiction, overdose and death are far too great to risk loosening access to methadone, Trejo argued.

— Teri Sforza, Oc Register, 26 Aug. 2026

Definition of loosening

Verb

What remains of the rock by this stage shrinks rapidly, also slowing significantly, with this slowdown occurring faster if the rock has fragmented more successfully.

— Robert Lea, Space.com, 1 Sep. 2026
Using a largely obscure real estate company, the church has been quickly expanding its holdings in numerous states and isn’t showing any signs of slowing down.

— Justin Klawans, TheWeek, 1 Sep. 2026

Definition of slowing

Browse Nearby Words

slackened

slackening

slackens

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Style

“Slackening.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/slackening. Accessed 5 Sep. 2026.

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Synonyms of slackening

adjective

verb

Example Sentences

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

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