unleash

un·leash | \ ˌən-ˈlēsh

How to pronounce unleash (audio)

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unleashed; unleashing; unleashes

Definition of unleash

transitive verb

1 : to free from or as if from a leash : let loose unleash the dogs unleashing his anger

2 : to throw, shoot, or set in motion forcefully unleashed a superb shot … to earn his side a point — The New York Times

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Examples of unleash in a Sentence

The storm unleashed its fury. The editorial unleashed a torrent of angry responses.

Recent Examples on the Web The former Tunisian president was an autocrat who led his small North African country for 23 years before being toppled by nationwide protests that unleashed revolt across the Arab world. — Washington Post, "Final goodbye: Recalling influential people who died in 2019," 16 Dec. 2019 The former Tunisian president was an autocrat who led his small North African country for 23 years before being toppled by nationwide protests that unleashed revolt across the Arab world. — Bernard Mcghee, The Denver Post, "Final goodbye: Recalling influential people who died in 2019," 16 Dec. 2019 While Zelensky still enjoys broad public support, he has been embarrassed by the scandal around his discussions with President Trump that have unleashed an impeachment inquiry in Washington. — BostonGlobe.com, "The talks focused on reviving a largely stalled 2015 peace agreement between Ukrainian troops fighting Russia-backed separatists in eastern Ukraine.," 11 Dec. 2019 With his newfound fame and international platform, Ngor became an outspoken critic of the Pol Pot regime that had unleashed horror upon millions of innocent people, including Ngor’s beloved wife, who had died in his arms. — Kc Baker, PEOPLE.com, "Was Slaying of Oscar-Winning The Killing Fields Actor a Random Act or a Political Revenge Hit?," 29 Nov. 2019 The Germans were firing a portable machine gun that could unleash over a thousand rounds a minute. — oregonlive, "The first American woman in uniform captured by the Nazis: Veterans Day 2019," 11 Nov. 2019 Greenland’s ice sheet holds enough water to raise seas by 7 meters—and no one knows whether, or how fast, that water will be unleashed by a warming world. — Eva Frederick, Science | AAAS, "Top stories: Ancient Germany’s missing girls, present-day Greenland’s dying ice, and dino proteins," 11 Oct. 2019 All told, the ice sheet holds enough water to raise seas by 7 meters—and no one knows whether, or how fast, that water will be unleashed. — Paul Voosen, Science Magazine, "A project to monitor every aspect of a fast-shrinking glacier could hold an answer to an urgent question: How fast will seas rise?," 10 Oct. 2019 Then came this decade's wave of immune therapies that unleash the body's defenses on tumors. — Tim Loh, chicagotribune.com, "Chemo packs new punch outside cancer fight’s spotlight," 4 Oct. 2019

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'unleash.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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Last Updated

23 Dec 2019

Cite this Entry

“Unleash.” The Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster Inc., https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/unleash. Accessed 17 January 2020.

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More Definitions for unleash

unleash

verb

English Language Learners Definition of unleash

: to allow or cause (something very powerful) to happen suddenly

: to remove a leash from (an animal) so that it can freely run, attack someone, etc.

See the full definition for unleash in the English Language Learners Dictionary

unleash

un·leash | \ ˌən-ˈlēsh

\

unleashed; unleashing

Kids Definition of unleash

: to free from or as if from a leash A storm unleashed its fury.

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