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
-
The second season finale saw Deborah fire Ava to free her up to be her own person and chase her career, only for the two to boomerang back together.—
Nicholas Quah,
Vulture,
29 May 2026
-
Orbit Robotics says its mission isn't to replace astronauts but to free them.—
Omar Kardoudi
May 29,
New Atlas,
29 May 2026
Verb
-
After more than four years, Russia’s full-scale invasion has morphed into a grinding war of attrition where soldiers are being killed en masse, financial losses are piling up and Kyiv has started to liberate more land than Moscow has seized.—
Helen Regan,
CNN Money,
2 June 2026
-
Electrons liberated by the Krebs cycle then pass through another set of reactions that consume oxygen.—
Siddhant Pusdekar,
Quanta Magazine,
1 June 2026
Verb
-
An estimate from the British spy agency GCHQ released Wednesday put the total Russian death toll at 500,000, citing new information.—
Nick Paton Walsh,
CNN Money,
30 May 2026
-
The World’s 50 Best Restaurants has released international dining guides since 2002.—
Angela Osorio,
Los Angeles Times,
30 May 2026
Verb
-
First responders arrived at the scene to try and rescue him, but he was pronounced dead, according to the sheriff's office.—
WCCO Staff,
CBS News,
31 May 2026
-
The five people who were rescued were in the fifth chamber.—
Jintamas Saksornchai,
Los Angeles Times,
31 May 2026
Verb
-
He is done trying to do the former by going to meetings and trying to save kids who can’t save themselves.—
Rafaela Bassili,
Vulture,
1 June 2026
-
Do this enough times in a season and after a few years, investing in an entry level robotic pool cleaner may actually pay for itself in dollars as well as time saved.—
Brad Moon,
Forbes.com,
31 May 2026
Verb
-
Meanwhile, Noina uses her elbows, knees and feet to administer a satisfyingly joint-loosening Thai massage.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
2 June 2026
-
Travel costs are climbing, remote work has loosened the rules on where and how long people can roam, and a growing share of travelers are deciding that a stranger’s spare bedroom — or entire home — beats another $400-a-night hotel.—
Hanna Wickes,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
2 June 2026
Verb
-
The long shadow of the occupation Twenty-three years after George Bush and Tony Blair resolved that Iraqis were to be emancipated, the country remains captive to a masquerade of power.—
Nabil Salih,
Time,
26 May 2026
-
When Winter was 14 years old, she was placed in the care of her older sister and three years later, she was legally emancipated.—
Caroline Blair,
PEOPLE,
15 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Unchain.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/unchain. Accessed 5 Jun. 2026.
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