the.com/loosen
To grant freedom by subtraction — undoing the grip without quite letting go.
means To make something less tight, firm, or rigid, whether a knot, a rule, or a clenched jaw.
from From Old English losian, to perish or be lost, kin to lose; the -en suffix later weaponized it into the verb that means make loose.
Sneaky -enSame suffix turns sharp into sharpen, deep into deepen.
Not looseLoose is the state; loosen is the action causing it.
Tongue dutyAlcohol famously loosens tongues, then loosens judgment.