UNCHAIN Synonyms: 50 Similar and Opposite Words

unchain

verb

ˌən-ˈchān

Definition of unchain

as in to free

to set free (as from slavery or confinement) activists for animal rights who would like to unchain zoo animals and return them to the wild

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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 unchain The nationwide standalone 5G that the carrier announced Wednesday essentially unchains that service from 4G LTE, allowing devices to connect to the network without first requiring a setup via AT&T’s older and slower network. — PC Magazine, 9 Oct. 2025 When Henson refused to unchain herself from the fence, California Highway Patrol arrested her. — Kate Talerico, The Mercury News, 7 Aug. 2024 Max eventually unchains himself and helps Furiosa in her quest to free the cult leader's wives, gaining mutual respect along the way. — Ew Staff, EW.com, 3 July 2024 Van Gogh had unchained it from its age-old funereal associations and reinvented it as a tour de force of emotional connection and nurturance. — Deborah Solomon, New York Times, 11 May 2023 On Wednesday, the rescuers carefully lifted the shed enough to reach Bubbles and unchain the dog. — Kelli Bender, PEOPLE.com, 3 Sep. 2021 The feds give an official exemption to Nuro, a company working on small self-driving cars—a sign that regulators are willing to unchain autonomous vehicles from the old rules. — Aarian Marshall, Wired, 9 Feb. 2020 Police say the three protesters had the ability to unchain themselves from the equipment but refused. — USA TODAY, 13 Sep. 2019

Recent Examples of Synonyms for unchain

Verb

Paying down high-interest debt frees up more room in the budget.

— Martie Bowser, Fortune, 24 Oct. 2026
On top of that, the number of French army soldiers that normally patrol Paris as part of the country’s counter-terrorism measures will be increased to free the police from stationary guard duties.

— Ivana Kottasová, CNN Money, 23 Oct. 2026

Definition of free

Verb

Technology can liberate your scrappy plants from overcrowded window boxes, and put a micro-farm in your kitchen.

— New Atlas, New Atlas, 22 Oct. 2026
This action would have triggered a kilonova while also liberating a lot of material, stuff that would take its time falling onto the black hole and fueling longer jets.

— Robin George Andrews, Scientific American, 20 Oct. 2026

Definition of liberate

Verb

The latest figures, released in April and based mostly on 2024 data, actually reflect a slowdown from earlier jumps.

— Martie Bowser, Fortune, 24 Oct. 2026
On October 24, 2006, Taylor Swift was released—the debut album by a 16-year-old with blonde curls, cowboy boots, and a special talent for turning heartbreak into hits.

— Ilaria Perrotta, Vanity Fair, 24 Oct. 2026

Definition of release

Verb

Yes, but this doesn’t save a business from the compliance nightmare.

— Daniel Kjellén, Fortune, 24 Oct. 2026
The first in the ACOTAR series, the romantasy novel introduces us to Feyre Archeron, a human woman who agrees to go live in the fairie realm of Prythian in order to save her family.

— Anna Moeslein, Glamour, 24 Oct. 2026

Definition of save

Verb

Their grip on song structure has loosened with each record and, by their most recent, 2024’s Exotic Birds of Prey, nearly dissipated altogether.

— Dash Lewis, Pitchfork, 23 Oct. 2026
His efforts to loosen dependence on America have earned his government sky-high approval ratings even as many Western governments face populations deeply unhappy with their rule.

— Fareed Zakaria, Washington Post, 23 Oct. 2026

Definition of loosen

Verb

At home, the United States had defeated their armies, destroyed their infrastructure, retaken their territory, emancipated their enslaved, and devastated their economy and society into a catastrophic mess.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 19 Oct. 2026
Drew was legally emancipated from her mother at 14 and began living independently.

— Ashley Hume, FOXNews.com, 18 Aug. 2026

Definition of emancipate

Browse Nearby Words

uncertainty

unchain

unchained

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Style

“Unchain.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/unchain. Accessed 27 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of unchain

verb

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