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

The company says this approach would free up more space for freight while reducing operating costs.

— Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 30 Oct. 2026
That frees up your team to focus on the larger design and creative systems, so your creative department can be the hero and say yes to more of the lower-funnel content requests.

— Dustin Callif, Forbes.com, 30 Oct. 2026

Definition of free

Verb

But by the fall of 2022, Ukraine had seized the offensive, liberating so much territory once held by Russian troops that Washington worried Putin might use a nuclear weapon to stop Ukrainian advances.

— Michael McFaul, Foreign Affairs, 27 Oct. 2026
Yakovleva described Kherson, which was the first major city to fall under Russian occupation in 2022 and was liberated by Ukraine later that year, as quiet – for the first time since its de-occupation.

— Lex Harvey, CNN Money, 27 Oct. 2026

Definition of liberate

Verb

The latest figures, released in April and based mostly on 2024 data, actually reflect a slowdown from earlier jumps.

— Martie Bowser, Fortune, 24 Oct. 2026
On October 24, 2006, Taylor Swift was released—the debut album by a 16-year-old with blonde curls, cowboy boots, and a special talent for turning heartbreak into hits.

— Ilaria Perrotta, Vanity Fair, 24 Oct. 2026

Definition of release

Verb

Two American sailors and their two dogs were rescued after five months at sea in the Pacific in 2017.

— CBS News, CBS News, 3 Nov. 2026
Supporters have been clamoring for these costs to be counted for years, arguing that drastic changes must immediately be implemented to rescue production in California.

— Winston Cho, HollywoodReporter, 3 Nov. 2026

Definition of rescue

Verb

Yes, but this doesn’t save a business from the compliance nightmare.

— Daniel Kjellén, Fortune, 24 Oct. 2026
The first in the ACOTAR series, the romantasy novel introduces us to Feyre Archeron, a human woman who agrees to go live in the fairie realm of Prythian in order to save her family.

— Anna Moeslein, Glamour, 24 Oct. 2026

Definition of save

Verb

Place the jam in a small microwave-safe bowl and microwave for 30 seconds to loosen.

— ABC News, ABC News, 29 Oct. 2026
Without his wife by his side, George, so confident in his business dealings and so adept at outmaneuvering the old-money elites whose hold on American enterprise is loosening, is unmoored.

— Brent Lang, IndieWire, 28 Oct. 2026

Definition of loosen

Verb

At home, the United States had defeated their armies, destroyed their infrastructure, retaken their territory, emancipated their enslaved, and devastated their economy and society into a catastrophic mess.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 19 Oct. 2026
Drew was legally emancipated from her mother at 14 and began living independently.

— Ashley Hume, FOXNews.com, 18 Aug. 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 5 Nov. 2026.

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Synonyms of unchain

verb

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