as in loose
not bound, confined, or detained by force
residents of the camp for drug rehabilitation are completely unconfined—no one is there unless they want to be
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Recent Examples of unconfined
Another unconfined delegation that should be subject to judicial scrutiny is provided by the Civil Rights Restoration Act, passed by the Democrats over President Ronald Reagan’s veto, which established the government’s power to arbitrarily withhold funding from universities.
—
George Liebmann, Baltimore Sun, 1 June 2025
This accounted for just 3 percent of heating fires overall, but these led to more than 40 percent of fatalities, in part because portable heaters tend to be placed precisely where people live and sleep, and because the resulting fires are far more likely to be unconfined.
—Matthew Korfhage, WIRED, 24 Mar. 2025
But even with this extensive network, there still is a need for improvements to address data gaps and enhance the representation of different aquifers, both in confined and unconfined conditions.
—Claire Marks, Austin American-Statesman, 27 Aug. 2024
But the physics of an unconfined air blast that disperses its energy in all directions meant that only a small percentage of the blast’s force was focused directly on the bridge’s underside.
—Ben Hodges, Led Klosky, Robert Person, Foreign Affairs, 5 Dec. 2023
Let joy be unconfined!
—Vulture, 2 Nov. 2022
An average of about 2,400 calls are received by Anchorage Animal Care and Control each year about off-leash or unconfined animals, mostly dogs, said Tamiah Liebersbach, the administration manager for the municipal health department, which works alongside the Animal Control Advisory Board.
—Tess Williams, Anchorage Daily News, 5 Feb. 2021
Principles of biological terrestrial locomotion have been discovered on unconfined vertical and horizontal substrates.
—Seriously Science, Discover Magazine, 31 May 2013
George Liebmann, Baltimore Sun, 1 June 2025
This accounted for just 3 percent of heating fires overall, but these led to more than 40 percent of fatalities, in part because portable heaters tend to be placed precisely where people live and sleep, and because the resulting fires are far more likely to be unconfined.
—Matthew Korfhage, WIRED, 24 Mar. 2025
But even with this extensive network, there still is a need for improvements to address data gaps and enhance the representation of different aquifers, both in confined and unconfined conditions.
—Claire Marks, Austin American-Statesman, 27 Aug. 2024
But the physics of an unconfined air blast that disperses its energy in all directions meant that only a small percentage of the blast’s force was focused directly on the bridge’s underside.
—Ben Hodges, Led Klosky, Robert Person, Foreign Affairs, 5 Dec. 2023
Let joy be unconfined!
—Vulture, 2 Nov. 2022
An average of about 2,400 calls are received by Anchorage Animal Care and Control each year about off-leash or unconfined animals, mostly dogs, said Tamiah Liebersbach, the administration manager for the municipal health department, which works alongside the Animal Control Advisory Board.
—Tess Williams, Anchorage Daily News, 5 Feb. 2021
Principles of biological terrestrial locomotion have been discovered on unconfined vertical and horizontal substrates.
—Seriously Science, Discover Magazine, 31 May 2013
Recent Examples of Synonyms for unconfined
Adjective
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As a result, officers are prioritizing animal cruelty and neglect cases over calls about loose dogs.—
Jasmine Arenas,
CBS News,
12 June 2026
-
That loose recommendation is not backed up by science, says Robert Vincent, a former federal public health analyst who helped get the new study off the ground.—
Claire Cameron,
Scientific American,
12 June 2026
Adjective
-
Ladipo says with a partnership with Common Goal, another national organization, their free inner-city soccer league, StationSoccer is the official player escort at the World Cup games in Atlanta.—
Chelsea Torres,
FOXNews.com,
14 June 2026
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Rideshare / taxi services will not be permitted to drop off near Miami Stadium – all such vehicles will be directed to an offsite lot (more info below), and fans will be required to board a free shuttle bus.—
Michelle Kaufman,
Miami Herald,
14 June 2026
Adjective
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His vibrant original compositions were faithfully reproduced using stencil and combined with an original text written by the artist to form the unbound book.—
Chadd Scott,
Forbes.com,
10 Mar. 2026
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Beginning March 7, the Art Institute of Chicago will be displaying an exhibition featuring a colorful unbound book of late-career works by French artist Henri Matisse.—
Adam Harrington,
CBS News,
3 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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Stood frozen to the backdrop of unrestrained exultation, Cholowsky — the presumptive top pick in July’s MLB Draft — gazed over the boy’s shoulder with a thousand-yard stare.—
Ira Gorawara,
New York Times,
1 June 2026
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One of them, who was unrestrained, died at the scene, while the other was taken to the hospital with major injuries.—
Brandon Downs,
CBS News,
31 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Unconfined.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/unconfined. Accessed 14 Jun. 2026.
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