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unchained 1 of 2

adjective

as in unfettered

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unchained

2 of 2

verb

past tense of unchain
as in freed
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

Synonyms & Similar Words

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 unchained
Adjective
There is a minute’s ovation for Keegan, who was chief operations officer and then manager at Craven Cottage in the late 1990s, there is an unchained melody of bedlam, the creation of chaos and there are a lot of c***s. — George Caulkin, New York Times, 25 Aug. 2026 Often the raconteur side is too unchained. — Jed Gottlieb, Boston Herald, 25 May 2026 Weisswange glanced around at the machines on either side of us, all of them waiting for repairs, their tracks unchained and gun barrels angled upward. — Simon Shuster, The Atlantic, 27 Mar. 2026 However, on multiple visits to the neighborhood, the two dogs were unchained in the yard during different times of the day and night, the Herald observed. — Devoun Cetoute, Miami Herald, 10 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for unchained
  1. unfettered
  2. freed
  3. unleashed
  4. liberated
  5. uncaged
  6. released
  7. escaped
  8. rescued
Adjective
  • But the Knights didn’t take long to respond in the second half, as Watson took a handoff and raced 64 yards unfettered for his second touchdown of the game, giving UCF a 27-24 lead eight seconds into the third quarter.
    — Matt Murschel, The Orlando Sentinel, 20 Sep. 2026
  • And last Sunday, in these pages, Coulter lamented losing his unfettered discretion on where to shelve books.
    — Robert Steinbuch, Arkansas Online, 18 Sep. 2026
Definition of unfettered
Verb
  • Just that 30-second interaction in Bobby’s office totally freed me up.
    — Jayson Jenks, New York Times, 11 Sep. 2026
  • An airport employee and officers freed the pilot from his parachute and pulled him from the plane, police said.
    — Stephen Sorace, FOXNews.com, 10 Sep. 2026
Definition of freed
Adjective
  • Former Seattle Seahawks and 11-year NFL veteran Richard Sherman, not exactly known to be soft with his thoughts and feelings about anything, unleashed on the Cowboys defense.
    — Mac Engel September 14, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 14 Sep. 2026
  • But Rooney was finally unleashed for a Champions League group game against Fenerbahce at Old Trafford, scoring a spectacular hat-trick, all three (the third an exquisite free kick) struck from outside the penalty area.
    — Amitai Winehouse, New York Times, 9 Sep. 2026
Definition of unleashed
Verb
  • While maybe not what anyone would call a feminist show, Charlie’s Angels did come along right when women were first being liberated on network TV.
    — Michael Callahan, HollywoodReporter, 11 Sep. 2026
  • As a young medic in the US, Soldner saw those drawings when his division liberated the camp.
    — Sarah Douglas, ARTnews.com, 4 Sep. 2026
Definition of liberated
Adjective
  • When the urge strikes him, Sam’s uncaged anger leads him to do horrible things.
    — Keith Langston, PEOPLE, 23 Apr. 2026
Definition of uncaged
Verb
  • Democrats hold just a five-percentage-point lead over Republicans about a month and a half out from the 2026 midterm elections, according to a new NBC News poll that was released on Sunday.
    — Carter Schroppe, The Washington Examiner, 21 Sep. 2026
  • On New Year’s Eve, Lindsay checked herself into McLean Psychiatric Hospital, where she was treated for depression, and days later released seventeen days before the murder.
    — Savannah Walsh, Vanity Fair, 21 Sep. 2026
Definition of released
Adjective
  • Miami Beach police have taken an escaped prisoner into custody after a search near Mount Sinai Medical Center Thursday afternoon, authorities said.
    — Sergio Candido, CBS News, 17 Sep. 2026
  • But these stats reflect firefighting progress at this stage rather than an escaped blaze, the department's public affairs officer Tiffany Davilla explained.
    — Joan Meiners, AZCentral.com, 28 Aug. 2026
Definition of escaped
Verb
  • After the fire department shared a video of Suki’s rescue on its Facebook page, commenters shared their own stories of their furry friends being rescued.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 17 Sep. 2026
  • According to the San Francisco Fire Department, all three onboard were rescued and received care from paramedics.
    — Tim Fang, CBS News, 17 Sep. 2026
Definition of rescued

Browse Nearby Words

unchain
unchained
unchaining
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Cite this Entry

“Unchained.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/unchained. Accessed 23 Sep. 2026.

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