as in loose
not bound, confined, or detained by force
residents of the camp for drug rehabilitation are completely unconfined—no one is there unless they want to be
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Recent Examples of unconfined
Another unconfined delegation that should be subject to judicial scrutiny is provided by the Civil Rights Restoration Act, passed by the Democrats over President Ronald Reagan’s veto, which established the government’s power to arbitrarily withhold funding from universities.
—
George Liebmann, Baltimore Sun, 1 June 2025
This accounted for just 3 percent of heating fires overall, but these led to more than 40 percent of fatalities, in part because portable heaters tend to be placed precisely where people live and sleep, and because the resulting fires are far more likely to be unconfined.
—Matthew Korfhage, WIRED, 24 Mar. 2025
But even with this extensive network, there still is a need for improvements to address data gaps and enhance the representation of different aquifers, both in confined and unconfined conditions.
—Claire Marks, Austin American-Statesman, 27 Aug. 2024
But the physics of an unconfined air blast that disperses its energy in all directions meant that only a small percentage of the blast’s force was focused directly on the bridge’s underside.
—Ben Hodges, Led Klosky, Robert Person, Foreign Affairs, 5 Dec. 2023
Let joy be unconfined!
—Vulture, 2 Nov. 2022
An average of about 2,400 calls are received by Anchorage Animal Care and Control each year about off-leash or unconfined animals, mostly dogs, said Tamiah Liebersbach, the administration manager for the municipal health department, which works alongside the Animal Control Advisory Board.
—Tess Williams, Anchorage Daily News, 5 Feb. 2021
Principles of biological terrestrial locomotion have been discovered on unconfined vertical and horizontal substrates.
—Seriously Science, Discover Magazine, 31 May 2013
George Liebmann, Baltimore Sun, 1 June 2025
This accounted for just 3 percent of heating fires overall, but these led to more than 40 percent of fatalities, in part because portable heaters tend to be placed precisely where people live and sleep, and because the resulting fires are far more likely to be unconfined.
—Matthew Korfhage, WIRED, 24 Mar. 2025
But even with this extensive network, there still is a need for improvements to address data gaps and enhance the representation of different aquifers, both in confined and unconfined conditions.
—Claire Marks, Austin American-Statesman, 27 Aug. 2024
But the physics of an unconfined air blast that disperses its energy in all directions meant that only a small percentage of the blast’s force was focused directly on the bridge’s underside.
—Ben Hodges, Led Klosky, Robert Person, Foreign Affairs, 5 Dec. 2023
Let joy be unconfined!
—Vulture, 2 Nov. 2022
An average of about 2,400 calls are received by Anchorage Animal Care and Control each year about off-leash or unconfined animals, mostly dogs, said Tamiah Liebersbach, the administration manager for the municipal health department, which works alongside the Animal Control Advisory Board.
—Tess Williams, Anchorage Daily News, 5 Feb. 2021
Principles of biological terrestrial locomotion have been discovered on unconfined vertical and horizontal substrates.
—Seriously Science, Discover Magazine, 31 May 2013
Recent Examples of Synonyms for unconfined
Adjective
-
Like the neighborhood kids playing at the community pool, also from his 1975 series, a stop-you-in-your-tracks, sincere, insightful, nostalgic slice of life from before kids were on their devices all day, kids turned loose by parents to have fun and make friends IRL.—
Chadd Scott,
Forbes.com,
24 Jan. 2026
-
No one has to urge him to dive for a loose ball, either.—
Joe Davidson,
Sacbee.com,
23 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
The defending league champion Blue Jays have added Dylan Cease, Tyler Rogers and Cody Ponce to their pitching staff while signing Kazuma Okamoto to help offset the loss of Bo Bichette in free agency.—
Mac Cerullo,
Boston Herald,
25 Jan. 2026
-
The NuPhy Node100’s look has been clearly influenced by the aesthetic of the classic Braun T3 radio with its unmistakable dot-matrix design with a clean and clutter-free top panel that includes a customizable touch bar for functions like volume levels.—
Mark Sparrow,
Forbes.com,
25 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
With Worthy back, the Chiefs offense suddenly seems unbound as well.—
Jesse Newell,
New York Times,
29 Sep. 2025
-
Ideas flow when the body is occupied but the mind is unbound.—
Karen Palmer
September 19,
Literary Hub,
19 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
His face and eyes tell a story all their own, while Ariana brings an innate human understanding coupled with unrestrained talent and wry fearlessness.—
Anthony D'Alessandro,
Deadline,
16 Jan. 2026
-
The seat belt law means that drivers may be stopped and cited if anyone in the vehicle is unrestrained, as the Kentucky Office of Highway Safety states.—
Amanda Hancock,
Louisville Courier Journal,
12 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Unconfined.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/unconfined. Accessed 30 Jan. 2026.
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