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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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
The Shambala Center would unchain our brains Through mindfulness, yoga, and chanted refrains.
—Nate Anderson, Ars Technica, 1 Apr. 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
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
The Shambala Center would unchain our brains Through mindfulness, yoga, and chanted refrains.
—Nate Anderson, Ars Technica, 1 Apr. 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
-
There was no sign former leader Aung San Suu Kyi would be freed or if the pardon would include the thousands of political detainees imprisoned for opposing military rule.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
17 Apr. 2026
-
That said, a small portion of inventory was strategically reserved by both networks in anticipation of a hot scatter market; when freed up, those units are expected to be the most valuable buys on the summer sports calendar.—
Anthony Crupi,
Sportico.com,
17 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
All writers must forge their own language and liberate themselves in this way.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
14 Apr. 2026
-
Igra and her mother were still living there when Russian and Cossack forces liberated them, as Igra said during her Eskaton talk.—
Graham Womack,
Sacbee.com,
14 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
If Bluey uses a wand of asparagus to transform her father into a walrus, her father will behave exactly like a walrus until released from the spell.—
Jean Garnett,
New Yorker,
18 Apr. 2026
-
The Cook County medical examiner’s office confirmed just one of the deaths Friday evening, but did not release the identity.—
William Lee,
Chicago Tribune,
18 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Cutesy anecdotes alternated with triumphs and tragedies—a school district rescued from a ransomware gang, an iPad salvaged from a plane crash.—
Julian Lucas,
New Yorker,
20 Apr. 2026
-
Another skier was rescued Sunday after sustaining a knee injury in the Lindley Hut area, according to the Pitkin County Sheriff’s Office.—
Lauren Penington,
Denver Post,
19 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
But although the two films have imminent solar catastrophes at their core, their approaches to saving the world from extreme global cooling are radically different.—
Richard Edwards,
Space.com,
19 Apr. 2026
-
This season has been less of a fairy tale, featuring some tough stretches, a so-so showing in the Olympics and far fewer goals saved above expected.—
Andrew Knoll,
Oc Register,
19 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
His hands of steel loosened my back with oils, and various stones like hot and salt.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
15 Apr. 2026
-
If necessary, use an offset spatula or butter knife to loosen the edges and then, using the overhang, transfer the brownies to a cutting board.—
Kelly Brant,
Arkansas Online,
14 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
After mutual suspicion, the two arrived at a reluctant truce in which Paul was free to bring non-Jews into the Jesus movement, emancipating them from Jewish ritual, while the original Jerusalem circle continued to keep kosher, circumcise, and all the rest.—
Adam Gopnik,
New Yorker,
13 Apr. 2026
-
His new psychological thriller follows a woman, played by Molly Windsor, who is attempting to emancipate herself from a religious cult.—
Madeleine Janz,
PEOPLE,
1 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Unchain.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/unchain. Accessed 20 Apr. 2026.
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