as in to free
to set free from entanglement or difficulty still struggling to disembarrass herself of the emotional baggage of a failed relationship

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Synonym Chooser

How does the verb disembarrass differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of disembarrass are disencumber, disentangle, extricate, and untangle. While all these words mean "to free from what binds or holds back," disembarrass suggests a release from something that impedes or hinders.

disembarrassed herself of her advisers

When might disencumber be a better fit than disembarrass?

In some situations, the words disencumber and disembarrass are roughly equivalent. However, disencumber implies a release from something that clogs or weighs down.

an article disencumbered of jargon

How do disentangle and untangle relate to one another, in the sense of disembarrass?

Both disentangle and untangle suggest painstaking separation of a thing from other things.

disentangling fact from fiction
untangle a web of deceit

When is it sensible to use extricate instead of disembarrass?

The words extricate and disembarrass are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, extricate implies the use of care or ingenuity in freeing from a difficult position or situation.

extricated himself from financial difficulties

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for disembarrass
Verb
  • This frees up invaluable human time to shape creative ideas and make strategic decisions on where audiences are most likely to engage.
    Derya Matras, Fortune, 4 Oct. 2025
  • Addressing my trauma really is freeing.
    Stephanie Nolasco, FOXNews.com, 4 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • Blood is always poised and ready to clot, because the body sees this as a life-saving mechanism.
    Bryant Stamford, Louisville Courier Journal, 2 Oct. 2025
  • Is intuitive budgeting effective for saving money?
    Andreina Rodriguez, CNBC, 1 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • Uranus retrograde in your sign on the 6th may cause some unexpected twists, but these changes are meant to liberate you from old ways of thinking and being.
    Meghan Rose, Glamour, 1 Oct. 2025
  • The film opens in an immigration detention camp, as a band of left-wing political militants known as the French 75 infiltrate the facility to liberate the detained, and detain the military overseers.
    Katie Walsh, Twin Cities, 26 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • One important caveat is, new JAL Mileage Bank members must wait seven days before redeeming miles.
    Meghan Hunter, CNBC, 1 Oct. 2025
  • That seems like quite a serious undertaking for a half-hour comedy about a disgraced former college football player who sets off to redeem himself by catfishing his way into becoming the quarterback for an underdog team in south Georgia.
    Katie Campione, Deadline, 30 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • He was extricated from his car and flown to Froedtert Hospital by Flight for Life.
    Claudia Levens, jsonline.com, 4 Oct. 2025
  • Sam, Jay and the ghosts attempt to extricate Jay from his deal with Elias Woodstone (Matt Walsh), the devil.
    Jessica Radloff, Glamour, 1 Oct. 2025
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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Cite this Entry

“Disembarrass.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/disembarrass. Accessed 7 Oct. 2025.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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