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

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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 unchained
Adjective
Advertisement Artificial is a story of unchained ambitions and betrayals, with its Altman an unqualified villain. — Stephanie Zacharek, Time, 7 Oct. 2026 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
  • These prediction market partnerships have, for some, become emblematic of what fans see as unfettered greed on the part of teams, players, leagues and platforms believed to be degrading their experience of sports writ large.
    — Hannah Keyser, CNN Money, 18 Oct. 2026
  • Conference expansion and realignment, as well as an unfettered transfer portal, has college football looking more and more like the NFL by the day, and that's by design.
    — Austin Perry OutKick, FOXNews.com, 17 Oct. 2026
Definition of unfettered
Verb
  • Separately, a woman trapped inside her car in floodwaters was freed outside of Morganton.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 12 Oct. 2026
  • Blair freed her leg from the stretcher straps and kicked the officer in the head and chest, according to a criminal complaint.
    — Alexandra Skores, CNN Money, 12 Oct. 2026
Definition of freed
Adjective
  • Be curious, not judgmental All of the above has unleashed theories about Simmons among fans and, of course, in the online world.
    — Kansas City Star, Kansas City Star, 12 Oct. 2026
  • In 1995, the rape of a 12-year-old girl by three US servicemen unleashed outrage and mass protests in Okinawa.
    — Junko Ogura, CNN Money, 4 Oct. 2026
Definition of unleashed
Verb
  • Ukraine has liberated 107 square miles in the operation that started in the summer, Ukraine's Third Army Corps commander Brig.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 15 Oct. 2026
  • Sivan’s previous record, Something to Give Each Other, was a breakthrough that liberated him from the YA preciousness of his early career.
    — Harry Tafoya, Pitchfork, 14 Oct. 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
  • When released under conditions of acute stress, glucocorticoids power fight or flight by shunting metabolic energy away from processes such as digestion and toward the heart, lungs, brain and muscles.
    — Maia Szalavitz, Scientific American, 20 Oct. 2026
  • In Registan Square on Monday, Rubio’s Uzbek hosts released hundreds of pigeons into the sky and filled the vast space with local pop music.
    — Reuters, NBC news, 20 Oct. 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
  • About two weeks ago, a 72-year-old woman was rescued from the Mount Shasta area after setting out on a hike and getting stranded for several days.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 15 Oct. 2026
  • An off-duty Jefferson County Sheriff's deputy rescued the unconscious driver from a burning vehicle after the crash.
    — Jennifer McRae, CBS News, 15 Oct. 2026
Definition of rescued

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Cite this Entry

“Unchained.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/unchained. Accessed 21 Oct. 2026.

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