unburdening

verb

present participle of unburden
1
as in unloading
to empty or rid of cargo the crew was frantically unburdening the ship in an attempt to save it

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in relieving
to set (a person or thing) free of something that encumbers a generous friend unburdened her of that particular financial worry

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of unburdening The narrator observes that being able to share the big secret with someone brings unburdening relief. — David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 15 Feb. 2026 Prevc is left with only history after unburdening the weight of his promise. — Jacob Whitehead, New York Times, 14 Feb. 2026 But Nevils is doing more than just unburdening herself. — Hillary Kelly, The Atlantic, 13 Feb. 2026 Of Landfair unburdening herself of the anchor that came with saying her name aloud. — Cheyenne Roundtree, Rolling Stone, 31 Jan. 2026 Maybe that’s why companies like RadAI, which focus on unburdening the physician’s workflow rather than subbing in for their expertise, have been so successful. — Alexis Kayser, MSNBC Newsweek, 4 Dec. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for unburdening
  1. unloading
  2. relieving
  3. ridding
  4. freeing
Verb
  • Parents groused that loading and unloading kids in the R1S could be a headache, especially with a child’s seat in the second row.
    — Andrew J. Hawkins, The Verge, 13 Aug. 2026
  • The timing shook out nicely, considering Berg would go on to be tapped to succeed Don Garber as MLS’ next commissioner and has subsequently been tasked with unloading his sizable ownership stake in LAFC.
    — Justin Birnbaum, Sportico.com, 7 Aug. 2026
Definition of unloading
Verb
  • Campione supports re-prioritizing and accelerating infrastructure projects and relieving congestion on county roads, especially arterial and collector road projects, by pushing the state to replace outdated funding formulas.
    — James Wilkins, The Orlando Sentinel, 13 Aug. 2026
  • Campillo has said that tourists and other park visitors have begun relieving themselves in grassy areas and other locations, and that as a result the closures are creating a public health emergency.
    — David Garrick, San Diego Union-Tribune, 12 Aug. 2026
Definition of relieving
Verb
  • The fatal crash has led city leaders and animal rights activists to take a new look at ridding New York of carriage horses.
    — Thomas Tracy, New York Daily News, 15 Aug. 2026
  • Cocaine trafficking is not a victimless crime, and the FBI and our partners will use every tool at our disposal to keep ridding our communities of these deadly narcotics.
    — Madeline Bartos, CBS News, 12 Aug. 2026
Definition of ridding
Verb
  • The best shampoos cleanse your scalp and hair from roots to ends, freeing it from buildup and gunk without stripping the scalp of natural and vital oils.
    — Jessie Quinn, StyleCaster, 16 Aug. 2026
  • The result is a system that, in the long term, could carry out sub hunting autonomously, but in the short term acts as an onboard co-pilot, freeing up human operators while doubling sonobuoy processing capacity.
    — David Szondy August 12, New Atlas, 13 Aug. 2026
Definition of freeing

Browse Nearby Words

unburdened
unburdening
unburdens
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Cite this Entry

“Unburdening.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/unburdening. Accessed 19 Aug. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on unburdening

Nglish: Translation of unburdening for Spanish Speakers

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