slacken

It seemed counterintuitive to slacken my grip given such a precise goal — to land a slender arrow in the epicenter of a black dot.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 30, 2026

You absolutely must allow your lower face to slacken naturally, which may be right around the moment Kardashian parts her artificially plumped lips to make a heroic attempt at acting.

From Salon ● Nov. 6, 2025

The onions will slacken and sweeten over indirect heat while he assembles the rest.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 31, 2025

The report cautioned that it is too early to determine what caused the rate to slacken.

From BBC ● Dec. 11, 2024

Then their visits would slacken off, and they would give up hope.

From "The Bell Jar" by Sylvia Plath

Her lyrical descriptions bring fresh poignancy to well-worn scenes of exile, though her narrative slackens a little on foreign terrain.

From The Wall Street Journal ● May 29, 2026

The problem is that the birth-death model tends to exaggerate job creation at turning points in the economy — when growth accelerates or when it slackens off.

From MarketWatch ● Dec. 12, 2025

That’s fitting enough; you’re meant to feel the noose tighten around each character’s neck in turn, though sometimes the tension slackens and the story threatens to collapse under the weight of its many convolutions.

From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 16, 2023

“By the time that happens, it’s just that much harder to compromise. It’s become a hot war at that point, and the desire for compromise slackens as a result.”

From Washington Post ● Jun. 19, 2022

Her grip on her purse slackens and her neck makes a nice curve.

From "Jazz" by Toni Morrison

One of the problems defense stocks have faced was a rotation into other sectors as fighting in the Middle East slackened.

From Barron's ● Apr. 24, 2026

Growth in the US slowed at the end of last year, as consumer spending slackened and the federal government shut down.

From BBC ● Feb. 20, 2026

“Consumers and businesses endured another difficult quarter as higher taxes and heightened uncertainty triggered a renewed reluctance to spend, invest and trade, while government spending slackened unexpectedly,” said Suren Thiru, economics director at the ICAEW.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 13, 2025

Having a strong sense of smell can be metabolically costly, Bird notes, so it’s possible that domestication and reliance on humans for food slackened the evolutionary pressure to maintain such a sharp olfactory edge.

From Science Magazine ● Apr. 26, 2024

Then, when they had begun to enter the wood that embraced the hill, it slackened and the sun came out.

From "The Door in the Wall" by Marguerite de Angeli

The disconnect between slackening activity and the increasing yield has mystified even oil chieftains.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Feb. 17, 2026

The central bank is trying to shore up a slackening U.S. jobs market while ensuring inflation doesn’t get out of hand again.

From MarketWatch ● Oct. 8, 2025

And as “Coup” shows, he has finally become something non-controversial, at least up on screen: an artist slackening into repetition and mild inconsequence.

From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 5, 2024

The office space gaslighting gives way to horror trickery, slackening the plot's tension until it nearly unravels in the final act.

From Salon ● Sep. 13, 2023

Instead of slackening, the wind gained in force and screamed over the rocks.

From "The Book of Three" by Lloyd Alexander