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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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
The Shambala Center would unchain our brains Through mindfulness, yoga, and chanted refrains.
—Nate Anderson, Ars Technica, 1 Apr. 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
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
The Shambala Center would unchain our brains Through mindfulness, yoga, and chanted refrains.
—Nate Anderson, Ars Technica, 1 Apr. 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
-
Lightning looms as winds threaten to push the tower over, but somehow the rescue team frees him from the wreckage to safety.—
Bryan West,
Nashville Tennessean,
18 Oct. 2025
-
The organization, which relies almost entirely on donations and volunteer fosters, is also calling attention to the overcrowding at local shelters and encourages people to adopt or foster animals to free up space, so more animals like Xiao Mao can get help.—
Moná Thomas,
PEOPLE,
17 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Change is uncomfortable, but this transit is here to liberate you in unexpected ways.—
Valerie Mesa,
PEOPLE,
22 Oct. 2025
-
The Warsaw doctors likewise wrote about patients whose hearts failed after they were fed; when Allied soldiers liberated the concentration camps, large numbers of emaciated people died after being given high-calorie foods such as chocolate.—
Clayton Dalton,
New Yorker,
18 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
According to reports, the 49ers are releasing Marquez Valdes-Scantling with an injury settlement.—
MSNBC Newsweek,
MSNBC Newsweek,
19 Oct. 2025
-
In Tel Aviv’s Hostages Square, large crowds of demonstrators gathered on Saturday, urging the government to pressure Hamas to release the bodies.—
Ibrahim Dahman,
CNN Money,
18 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
In May 2024, our officers helped rescue a bull that had escaped.—
Gabrielle Chenault,
Nashville Tennessean,
21 Oct. 2025
-
Aurora, the husky, had to be rescued by local animal control after chasing a squirrel up a tree in her Indiana backyard and getting stuck on a branch up in the air.—
Kirsty Hatcher,
PEOPLE,
21 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
The number of foreign residents has risen sharply in recent years, reaching a record 3 percent of the population in 2024, as Tokyo cautiously loosened visa rules for workers in key industries such as manufacturing, agriculture, and caregiving.—
Micah McCartney,
MSNBC Newsweek,
25 Oct. 2025
-
If your windows are heavily dirty, let the solution sit for a couple of minutes to loosen the dirt.—
Ashlyn Needham,
Southern Living,
24 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
This is well over a dozen years before Black people are declared emancipated.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
25 Sep. 2025
-
In the Revolutionary War itself, Britain’s Lord Dunmore had emancipated large numbers of southern slaves as a war measure—a fact well-known in both the 1770s and the 1860s.—
Akhil Reed Amar,
Time,
22 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Judging by his big grin, though, the best topic was saved till last when asked to describe Estevao’s display.—
Simon Johnson,
New York Times,
23 Oct. 2025
-
By benching Wilson, Denver made sure that he couldn’t get injured and was consequently able to save money on his release.—
Frank Nunns OConnell,
CNN Money,
22 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Unchain.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/unchain. Accessed 26 Oct. 2025.
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