unfetter

verb

ˌən-ˈfe-tər How to pronounce unfetter (audio)
Definition of unfetternext
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

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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 unfetter The Safdies are pointedly effective in capturing the way in which a chaotic city’s overall rhythm goes on unfettered even as a character experiences a horrific disruption or glitch in one small part of it. — Jon Caramanica, New York Times, 15 Dec. 2019 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
  1. free
  2. liberate
  3. release
  4. rescue
  5. loosen
  6. emancipate
Verb
  • The result is a system that, in the long term, could carry out sub hunting autonomously, but in the short term acts as an onboard co-pilot, freeing up human operators while doubling sonobuoy processing capacity.
    — David Szondy August 12, New Atlas, 13 Aug. 2026
  • The film memorably told the story of a young boy who befriends and tries to free a killer whale who has been captured in the wild and is living in an aquarium.
    — Stewart Clarke, Deadline, 13 Aug. 2026
Definition of free
Verb
  • France had already been liberated, but Royan was said to be the site of a smattering of Third Reich dead-enders.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 12 Aug. 2026
  • For Russian propagandists, the Azov Brigade, which began as a nationalist militia, was shorthand for the supposedly fascist influences from which Vladimir Putin claimed to be liberating Ukraine.
    — Joshua Yaffa, New Yorker, 10 Aug. 2026
Definition of liberate
Verb
  • Tyler Boebert, 21, was arrested Sunday and released from the county's jail that day after posting $10,000 bail, according to the Garfield County Sheriff's Office.
    — Denver Post, Denver Post, 11 Aug. 2026
  • The organization publicly releases minimal information detailing incidents in the region, refraining from specifying the vessels involved.
    — Kevin Liptak, CNN Money, 11 Aug. 2026
Definition of release
Verb
  • Local residents even helped rescue one of the young falcons using a bucket and a towel in late June when it was trapped in the Fox River.
    — Addison Wright, Chicago Tribune, 13 Aug. 2026
  • The tubers were rescued Friday amid dense woods and thick ground cover by two state troopers and three Michigan Department of Natural Resources conservation officers.
    — Dennis Romero, NBC news, 12 Aug. 2026
Definition of rescue
Verb
  • Made from wood chips and sawdust bound with resin, particleboard can swell when exposed to moisture, while screws and bolts can loosen over time.
    — Rachel Silva, Martha Stewart, 14 Aug. 2026
  • Even before this summer’s heat, the EU had begun loosening a number of its emissions targets and delaying the phaseout of gas and diesel vehicles, in an apparent effort to blunt the far right’s use of green policies as a campaign issue.
    — Ned Temko, Christian Science Monitor, 13 Aug. 2026
Definition of loosen
Verb
  • In 1775, his first enslaver sold him to the commander of Framingham's Minute Men, who emancipated him, and Salem went on to fight at Lexington and Concord.
    — Catherine Messier, The Providence Journal, 4 July 2026
  • Finally, David ends the episode with a discussion of Shakespeare’s Othello and how ancient plays can emancipate readers from some of their modern prejudices.
    — David Frum, The Atlantic, 17 June 2026
Definition of emancipate

Browse Nearby Words

unfertile
unfetter
unfettered
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Unfetter.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/unfetter. Accessed 16 Aug. 2026.

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