as in to liberate
to set free (as from slavery or confinement)
under the cover of darkness animal rights activists emancipated the inhabitants of the mink ranch
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Recent Examples of emancipate
Abolitionists, farmers, emancipated Blacks, mechanics, prohibitionists, and populists all used fusion voting during the 19th century to make sure that their voices were heard by their fellow citizens as well as the leaders of this vast, diverse nation.
—
Josh Hammer, MSNBC Newsweek, 8 July 2025
The South American liberation leader Simón Bolívar emancipated the slave laborers who worked on his family’s estate—unlike George Washington and Thomas Jefferson.
—Book Marks
july 3, Literary Hub, 3 July 2025
On June 19, 1865, nearly two years after President Abraham Lincoln emancipated enslaved Africans in America, 2,000 Union troops arrived in Galveston Bay, Texas, with news of freedom.
—Marley Malenfant, Austin American Statesman, 2 July 2025
Juneteenth marks the day in 1865 when Union soldiers informed enslaved people in Texas — the last state to enforce slavery — that they’d been emancipated.
—Brian Niemietz, New York Daily News, 19 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for emancipate
Josh Hammer, MSNBC Newsweek, 8 July 2025
The South American liberation leader Simón Bolívar emancipated the slave laborers who worked on his family’s estate—unlike George Washington and Thomas Jefferson.
—Book Marks
july 3, Literary Hub, 3 July 2025
On June 19, 1865, nearly two years after President Abraham Lincoln emancipated enslaved Africans in America, 2,000 Union troops arrived in Galveston Bay, Texas, with news of freedom.
—Marley Malenfant, Austin American Statesman, 2 July 2025
Juneteenth marks the day in 1865 when Union soldiers informed enslaved people in Texas — the last state to enforce slavery — that they’d been emancipated.
—Brian Niemietz, New York Daily News, 19 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for emancipate
Recent Examples of Synonyms for emancipate
Verb
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The Prize is technically a financial award, not a grant, which liberates recipients to dream, pause, pivot, or scale on their own terms.—
Afdhel Aziz,
Forbes.com,
9 Sep. 2025
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Still, not every architect involved has found the project’s carte blanche approach liberating.—
Siobhan Reid,
Robb Report,
7 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Taken together, the two programs free older workers for the flexible opportunities often available with smaller companies or nonprofits with traditionally lower pay.—
Amy Lindgren,
Twin Cities,
13 Sep. 2025
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This helped free Nacua up for a 24-yard gain into the red zone.—
Adam Grosbard,
Oc Register,
13 Sep. 2025
Verb
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This year’s results covering 2023 and 2024, which were shared exclusively with Forbes, will be released tomorrow.—
Christopher Elliott,
Forbes.com,
14 Sep. 2025
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Agents detained two suspects – including one at the scene of the crime – but later released them and cleared them of any involvement.—
Rick Jervis,
USA Today,
14 Sep. 2025
Verb
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So, there are still chances that the AHRQ could get rescued at some point by the House of Representatives.—
Bruce Y. Lee,
Forbes.com,
9 Sep. 2025
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The girl’s mom got into a kayak, paddled out to the sinking canoe and rescued her daughter, but her boyfriend went underwater, deputies said.—
Jennifer Rodriguez,
Kansas City Star,
8 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Open primaries would enfranchise more than a million New York voters, who are disproportionately young and represent communities of color.—
John Avlon,
New York Daily News,
7 July 2025
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About a year after the infirmary team returned to the United States, the 19th Amendment became law, enfranchising 27 million women, the largest expansion of voting rights in American history.—
Amy Sohn,
Smithsonian Magazine,
27 June 2025
Verb
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Her efforts saved the animal’s life and landed her in her hometown newspaper, The Mountain Eagle, which was the first to write about the dramatic rescue and resuscitation.—
Michael Collins,
USA Today,
11 Sep. 2025
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These annual gifts can also reduce the size of your taxable estate, saving more of your lifetime exemption for future inheritances.—
Nathalie Goldstein,
Forbes.com,
10 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Drop the filters into the soapy water and soak them for 15-30 minutes to easily lift and loosen grease and gunk.—
Daley Quinn,
Southern Living,
12 Sep. 2025
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Simply add a little broth to loosen the pasta before reheating or serving.—
Robin Miller,
AZCentral.com,
11 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Tubman’s father had been manumitted by his owner, but Brodess had inherited Tubman, hiring her and her siblings out to neighbors for seasonal work, whether trapping muskrats or clearing land.—
Casey Cep,
The New Yorker,
24 June 2024
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Grant would manumit his one enslaved servant, William Jones, in 1859.—
Harold Holzer,
WSJ,
1 Jan. 2024
Cite this Entry
“Emancipate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/emancipate. Accessed 15 Sep. 2025.
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