as in to free
to set free (as from slavery or confinement)
authorities eventually unfettered the menagerie of wild animals that had been kept illegally as pets
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
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 unfetter
His long run in office, however, delivered only partial victories on his two primary ambitions: to unfetter Japan’s military after decades of postwar pacifism and to jump-start and overhaul its economy through a program known as Abenomics.
—
New York Times, 8 July 2022
As spring ends, maple trees begin to unfetter winged seeds that flutter and swirl from branches to land gently on the ground.
—Nikk Ogasa, Scientific American, 22 Sep. 2021
By manufacturing satellite components in space, Made In Space hopes to unfetter some of those launch constraints.
—Eric Berger, Ars Technica, 2 Aug. 2019
Unfettered by worries about his relationship, Caldwell thrived.
—Jason Blevins, The Denver Post, 18 May 2017
New York Times, 8 July 2022
As spring ends, maple trees begin to unfetter winged seeds that flutter and swirl from branches to land gently on the ground.
—Nikk Ogasa, Scientific American, 22 Sep. 2021
By manufacturing satellite components in space, Made In Space hopes to unfetter some of those launch constraints.
—Eric Berger, Ars Technica, 2 Aug. 2019
Unfettered by worries about his relationship, Caldwell thrived.
—Jason Blevins, The Denver Post, 18 May 2017
Recent Examples of Synonyms for unfetter
Verb
-
The organization takes care of the back-end logistics, from payroll and setting tuition to lobbying state legislators and navigating local zoning laws, freeing educators to concentrate on their craft.—
Preston Fore,
Fortune,
28 Sep. 2025
-
The kitten was freed from the tire unharmed and reunited with his family.—
Toria Sheffield,
PEOPLE,
27 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
And that liberated me, absolutely liberated me.—
H. Alan Scott,
MSNBC Newsweek,
24 Sep. 2025
-
In order to win a war—especially a war that threatened the nation’s very existence—the federal government enjoyed plenary power to liberate slaves, as nations at war had commonly done long before the Constitution was drafted and ratified.—
Akhil Reed Amar,
Time,
22 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Baker escorted Skeet to Winkler County jail where he was booked and released on $20,000 bail.—
Mitch Moxley,
Rolling Stone,
27 Sep. 2025
-
Both were in theatres for only a week or so, before being released on the platform.—
Justin Chang,
New Yorker,
27 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Brooks explained the white and brown pup was rescued from a cruelty case in South Carolina.—
Lucy Notarantonio,
MSNBC Newsweek,
1 Oct. 2025
-
As Sergio uncovers that the village’s devotion to Matteo is far from benevolent, his attempt to rescue the boy known as the Angel of Remis ignites the community’s vengeful nature.—
Matt Grobar,
Deadline,
30 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Lance Wilson, a public-relations professional who works with the Anti Police-Terror Project, warned that the council might loosen the restrictions further, potentially allowing chases for lesser crimes, such as burglary.—
Shomik Mukherjee,
Mercury News,
26 Sep. 2025
-
The league decided to loosen some of those restrictions for the 2025 season.—
Chantz Martin,
FOXNews.com,
25 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
This is well over a dozen years before Black people are declared emancipated.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
25 Sep. 2025
-
In the Revolutionary War itself, Britain’s Lord Dunmore had emancipated large numbers of southern slaves as a war measure—a fact well-known in both the 1770s and the 1860s.—
Akhil Reed Amar,
Time,
22 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Unfetter.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/unfetter. Accessed 2 Oct. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share