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
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
Destroying a pier is likely beyond the capability of an unconfined sea drone explosion.
—Ben Hodges, Led Klosky, Robert Person, Foreign Affairs, 5 Dec. 2023
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
One, the kind researchers are now worried about, is the unconfined water that gathers in the pore spaces of soil very close to the surface.
—Rosanna Xiastaff Writer, Los Angeles Times, 17 Jan. 2023
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
Destroying a pier is likely beyond the capability of an unconfined sea drone explosion.
—Ben Hodges, Led Klosky, Robert Person, Foreign Affairs, 5 Dec. 2023
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
One, the kind researchers are now worried about, is the unconfined water that gathers in the pore spaces of soil very close to the surface.
—Rosanna Xiastaff Writer, Los Angeles Times, 17 Jan. 2023
Recent Examples of Synonyms for unconfined
Adjective
-
There, the shock from an impact might shake dust loose.—
Victoria Corless,
Space.com,
19 May 2025
-
The Aggies battled back in the bottom of the sixth, closing the gap to just one run, but couldn’t overcome the loose, motivated Flames squad.—
Lauren Merola,
New York Times,
19 May 2025
Adjective
-
So the fact that Xbox games are now free to land on any platform might be a harbinger of things to come, and this could give Microsoft a foundational head-start in the race toward a different future.—
Mitch Wallace,
Forbes.com,
14 May 2025
-
There’s no guarantee the barrier plans will keep the carp from lakes, which already have some freshwater common European carp, also an invasive species, swimming free.—
Charles Selle,
Chicago Tribune,
14 May 2025
Adjective
-
One of the scarier parts of the last few weeks has been this idea that Trump has become totally unbound, even from the few things that kept him on the rails in the first term, such as public opinion and the stock market.—
Carlo Versano,
MSNBC Newsweek,
13 May 2025
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Trump's attack on birthright citizenship is just one example of a larger, horrifying pattern—a presidency unbound by precedent, marked by an abuse of authority, motivated by division, and willing to trample individual rights for political gain.—
Tom Rogers,
MSNBC Newsweek,
29 Apr. 2025
Adjective
-
The negligent homicide charge stems from the death of Ryleigh Collins, who was unrestrained in the vehicle during the December crash and subsequently died at the scene.—
Mary Walrath-Holdridge,
USA Today,
14 May 2025
-
As Colby and Niro's feud comes to a head, the dramatic tension and weight are better felt, and long-time Lucasfilm Animation fans will appreciate the unrestrained Western vibes at the forefront of this one.—
Fran Ruiz,
Space.com,
12 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Unconfined.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/unconfined. Accessed 25 May. 2025.
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