unleash

verb

un·​leash ˌən-ˈlēsh 

unleashed; unleashing; unleashes

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

3

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

The storm unleashed its fury.

The editorial unleashed a flood/torrent of angry responses.

Synonyms of unleash

• loosen
• release
• unlock

Examples of unleash in a Sentence

The storm unleashed its fury.

The editorial unleashed a torrent of angry responses.

Recent Examples on the Web

Hundreds of thousands of collisions would happen every year, each unleashing its own swarm of hazardous, high-speed orbital shrapnel. — Jonathan O'Callaghan, Scientific American, 18 Aug. 2026

Back then, Jenkins (and many of his peers) lost a lot of money building power plants when the rush of electricity demand that was supposed to be unleashed by deregulation never really materialized. — Tim McDonnell, semafor.com, 18 Aug. 2026

In 1994, as Chinese reformer Deng Xiaoping’s market liberalization unleashed a heady entrepreneurial spirit across the People’s Republic, Wang quit his job at a vocational college and invented the world’s first automatic soymilk maker. — Charlie Campbell, Time, 18 Aug. 2026

And Denise, rather than retreating from the action, unleashes a piercing battle cry and plunges into the mayhem head on. — Justin Chang, New Yorker, 17 Aug. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

circa 1671, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for unleash

• pastiche
• leash
• quiche

Kids Definition

unleash

verb

un·​leash ˌən-ˈlēsh 

: to free from or as if from a leash

unleash a dog

the storm unleashed its fury