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

Listeners might feel their pulse slacken as they settle into the music’s soothing triple meter, a recurring cycle of one-two-threes.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 29, 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 report cautioned that it is too early to determine what caused the rate to slacken.

From BBC ● Dec. 11, 2024

The current did not slacken and the punt came round the bend almost in the middle of the stream, revolving as it did so.

From "Watership Down: A Novel" by Richard Adams

The eight-speed transmission shuffles up to overdrive as soon as the throttle pressure slackens.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 15, 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

Just when the pace slackens, Crewe deftly flicks the reins, and “The New Life” jolts forward, as with the scandal of Oscar Wilde’s trial.

From Washington Post ● Dec. 29, 2022

And while the agonizing stillness of Brünnhilde and especially Wotan in their long final scene is effective in theory, Rose and Jones do not quite sell his endless impassivity, and the tension sometimes slackens.

From New York Times ● Nov. 21, 2021

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

From "Jazz" by Toni Morrison

Lower gas prices largely explained the tame readings on wholesale prices in the past two months, but the cost of other key commodities have also slackened.

From MarketWatch ● Aug. 13, 2026

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

“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

It was only by goal number 10 that the pace slackened.

From BBC ● Sep. 10, 2024

Joyce’s willingness to do odd jobs slackened about this time.

From "I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings" by Maya Angelou

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