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
-
None of these would form the loose, granular snow conditions that compress under skis on Earth and Pluto's gravity only makes things worse.—
Daisy Dobrijevic,
Space.com,
13 Feb. 2026
-
This will get rid of any loose hair, flaky skin, or pesky dandruff.—
David Fear,
Rolling Stone,
13 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
The most luxurious is the Royal Suite, which has spectacular ocean views and is designed to provide a truly luxurious experience, with services that include a dedicated butler and free airport transfers.—
José Cantillo Ferrer,
Condé Nast Traveler,
15 Feb. 2026
-
Open with free admission Monday.—
The Arkansas Democrat-Gazette,
Arkansas Online,
15 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
Under the new law, the deportation panel operates unbound by the restrictions and responsibilities placed on the regular parole process.—
ProPublica,
ProPublica,
24 Nov. 2025
-
With Worthy back, the Chiefs offense suddenly seems unbound as well.—
Jesse Newell,
New York Times,
29 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
It’s filled with super-heightened emotions; unrestrained passion, betrayal, evil and even a magic spell or two.—
David Lyman,
Cincinnati Enquirer,
5 Feb. 2026
-
Without a replacement deal in place, Sokov fears an unrestrained arms race is likely — not right away, but in five to seven years from now — with the nations pursuing more accurate, sophisticated weapons that are harder to intercept, rather than just increasing warhead numbers.—
Yuliya Talmazan,
NBC news,
5 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Unconfined.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/unconfined. Accessed 20 Feb. 2026.
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