unleashed; unleashing; unleashes
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
The New York Times3
: to allow or cause (something powerful) to happen suddenly
The storm unleashed its fury.
The editorial unleashed a flood/torrent of angry responses.
Examples of unleash in a Sentence
The storm unleashed its fury.
The editorial unleashed a torrent of angry responses.
Recent Examples on the Web
Vandenberg, 49, was planning on traveling from El Paso to San Diego to unleash harmful fireworks at a June 14 protest, prosecutors said.
—Clara Harter, Los Angeles Times, 13 Jan. 2026
Jeremy Holin, Fort Lauderdale Fearful about the future The unnecessary death of Renee Nicole Good is totally the fault of every Republican in the Senate and the House who has unleashed this unhinged and hateful president.
—Sun Sentinel Editorial Board, Sun Sentinel, 12 Jan. 2026
At Lockheed Martin, Hegseth said that money will be spent re-establishing America’s military might, stressing that the administration is looking to unleash the country’s defense resources in the preservation of peace.
—Matthew Adams, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 12 Jan. 2026
Show houses are unfailingly eye-catching—perhaps because designers, unburdened by client directives, are able to fully unleash their imaginations.
—Alia Akkam, Architectural Digest, 12 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for unleash
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Clara Harter, Los Angeles Times, 13 Jan. 2026
Jeremy Holin, Fort Lauderdale Fearful about the future The unnecessary death of Renee Nicole Good is totally the fault of every Republican in the Senate and the House who has unleashed this unhinged and hateful president.
—Sun Sentinel Editorial Board, Sun Sentinel, 12 Jan. 2026
At Lockheed Martin, Hegseth said that money will be spent re-establishing America’s military might, stressing that the administration is looking to unleash the country’s defense resources in the preservation of peace.
—Matthew Adams, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 12 Jan. 2026
Show houses are unfailingly eye-catching—perhaps because designers, unburdened by client directives, are able to fully unleash their imaginations.
—Alia Akkam, Architectural Digest, 12 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for unleash
Cite this Entry
“Unleash.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/unleash. Accessed 16 Jan. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
unleash
verb
un·leash
ˌən-ˈlēsh 
: to free from or as if from a leash
unleash a dog
the storm unleashed its fury
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