Wireless communications systems and methods related to channel access with variable energy detection thresholds in a shared radio frequency band are provided. A wireless communication device, performs a listen-before-talk (LBT) procedure to contend for a maximum channel occupancy time (MCOT) in a first shared radio frequency band, the performing the LBT including performing, in the first shared radio frequency band, first channel sensing during a first portion of an LBT period based on a first energy detection threshold; and performing, in the first shared radio frequency band based on the first channel sensing, second channel sensing during a second portion of the LBT period based on a second energy detection threshold different from the first energy detection threshold; and communicating, in the first shared radio frequency band, a communication signal during the MCOT based on the LBT procedure.