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
-
Midway through the third quarter, true freshman linebacker Mason Posa, buried on the depth chart just weeks ago, ripped the ball loose at Washington’s 7-yard line and fell on it himself.—
Ira Gorawara,
New York Times,
9 Nov. 2025
-
Sanford jarred the ball loose as Zollers was loading up to pass, and the ball caromed to A&M’s Dalton Brooks virtually in stride behind Zollers.—
Kansas City Star,
Kansas City Star,
8 Nov. 2025
Adjective
-
Moon’s poems suggest Buddhist ideologies and Korean temples, yet the works remain largely free of cultural-specific imagery and are, instead, naturalistic or universal.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
10 Nov. 2025
-
Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE's free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from juicy celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.—
Escher Walcott,
PEOPLE,
9 Nov. 2025
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 art form is chaos, and the unrestrained fear that chaos can provoke.—
The Atlantic Culture Desk,
The Atlantic,
29 Oct. 2025
-
Keeping a pet loose in the car can pose risks, such as small dogs crawling into the footwell and interfering with the brake or pedal, larger pets blocking your view, or, in the case of an accident, unrestrained pets could be crushed by airbags or thrown out.—
Liz O'Connell,
MSNBC Newsweek,
16 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Unconfined.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/unconfined. Accessed 10 Nov. 2025.
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