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
As Iran unleashes a wave of retaliatory drones strikes on critical infrastructure around the Persian Gulf, Ukrainian expertise in countering those drones appears to be in demand.
—Nathan Hodge, CNN Money, 7 Mar. 2026
The sculpture depicts Krishna, the protector, raising a mountain with his left arm to shield cowherds from the wrathful storm unleashed by Indra—a pivotal motif in Khmer art.
—Li Qi, Artforum, 6 Mar. 2026
Yeti takes place deep in the Alps, where an avalanche has unleashed something primeval from the glacial ice.
—Matt Grobar, Deadline, 6 Mar. 2026
The real horror in Frankenstein was a brilliant man who unleashed power and retreated from accountability.
—Tom Debley, Mercury News, 5 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for unleash
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Nathan Hodge, CNN Money, 7 Mar. 2026
The sculpture depicts Krishna, the protector, raising a mountain with his left arm to shield cowherds from the wrathful storm unleashed by Indra—a pivotal motif in Khmer art.
—Li Qi, Artforum, 6 Mar. 2026
Yeti takes place deep in the Alps, where an avalanche has unleashed something primeval from the glacial ice.
—Matt Grobar, Deadline, 6 Mar. 2026
The real horror in Frankenstein was a brilliant man who unleashed power and retreated from accountability.
—Tom Debley, Mercury News, 5 Mar. 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 10 Mar. 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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