UNCHAIN Synonyms: 50 Similar and Opposite Words

unchain

verb

ˌən-ˈchān

Definition of unchain

as in to free

to set free (as from slavery or confinement) activists for animal rights who would like to unchain zoo animals and return them to the wild

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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 unchain The nationwide standalone 5G that the carrier announced Wednesday essentially unchains that service from 4G LTE, allowing devices to connect to the network without first requiring a setup via AT&T’s older and slower network. — PC Magazine, 9 Oct. 2025 When Henson refused to unchain herself from the fence, California Highway Patrol arrested her. — Kate Talerico, The Mercury News, 7 Aug. 2024 Max eventually unchains himself and helps Furiosa in her quest to free the cult leader's wives, gaining mutual respect along the way. — Ew Staff, EW.com, 3 July 2024 Van Gogh had unchained it from its age-old funereal associations and reinvented it as a tour de force of emotional connection and nurturance. — Deborah Solomon, New York Times, 11 May 2023 On Wednesday, the rescuers carefully lifted the shed enough to reach Bubbles and unchain the dog. — Kelli Bender, PEOPLE.com, 3 Sep. 2021 The feds give an official exemption to Nuro, a company working on small self-driving cars—a sign that regulators are willing to unchain autonomous vehicles from the old rules. — Aarian Marshall, Wired, 9 Feb. 2020 Police say the three protesters had the ability to unchain themselves from the equipment but refused. — USA TODAY, 13 Sep. 2019

Recent Examples of Synonyms for unchain

Verb

Better yet, the chairs tuck neatly beneath the table when playtime is over, freeing up valuable floor space when a blanket fort is suddenly requested.

— Vy Yang, Architectural Digest, 31 July 2026
The aim of integrating AI into businesses is to boost productivity and free up resources for higher-order strategic thinking.

— Ipsita Mohanty, Forbes.com, 31 July 2026

Definition of free

Verb

By liberating real-time data flows, financial institutions can gain a single, accurate source of truth.

— Jody Bhagat, Forbes.com, 6 Aug. 2026
But at the same time, there was something in really wanting to challenge myself and just surrendering to having the experience of being that person, that felt artistically really satisfying and kind of liberating.

— Beatrice Verhoeven, HollywoodReporter, 1 Aug. 2026

Definition of liberate

Verb

The most recent National Climate Assessment, released by the federal government in 2023, warned most of Georgia will likely see between 10 and 40 more days with temperatures of at least 95 degrees by midcentury.

— Drew Kann, AJC.com, 4 Aug. 2026
He was detained, questioned and later released by authorities that same day.

— Tristan Maglunog, ABC News, 4 Aug. 2026

Definition of release

Verb

Details of the operation that freed the more than 300 people who spent months in captivity were not disclosed, with the statement only saying they were rescued from a forest and are now receiving medical attention.

— ABC News, ABC News, 6 Aug. 2026
Divers wear blackout masks and practice rescuing themselves and fellow firefighters while operating without vision.

— Darius Johnson, CBS News, 6 Aug. 2026

Definition of rescue

Verb

Tom Holland‘s Peter Parker made the difficult decision to erase his identity from the world in order to save the multiverse, leaving his girlfriend (Zendaya) and best friend Ned (Jacob Batalon) to forget about him.

— Rebecca Rubin, Variety, 2 Aug. 2026
The most obvious drawback is that the program doesn’t save money for New Yorkers overall.

— Shawn Tully, Fortune, 2 Aug. 2026

Definition of save

Verb

Combine the hot pasta with the sauce, loosening with splashes of reserved pasta water until every noodle is coated.

— Maggie Meyer Glisan, Better Homes & Gardens, 30 July 2026
Cuba’s government had already made moves to loosen restrictions on private industry over the last few decades.

— ABC News, ABC News, 29 July 2026

Definition of loosen

Verb

In 1775, his first enslaver sold him to the commander of Framingham's Minute Men, who emancipated him, and Salem went on to fight at Lexington and Concord.

— Catherine Messier, The Providence Journal, 4 July 2026
Finally, David ends the episode with a discussion of Shakespeare’s Othello and how ancient plays can emancipate readers from some of their modern prejudices.

— David Frum, The Atlantic, 17 June 2026

Definition of emancipate

Browse Nearby Words

uncertainty

unchain

unchained

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“Unchain.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/unchain. Accessed 7 Aug. 2026.

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Synonyms of unchain

verb

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