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
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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
-
People both young and old, lonely and less lonely, those blessed with a family home, and even couples freed up the tram for us.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
13 Feb. 2026
-
Lilia, her mother and her aunt try to free a bird that has made its way into the house.—
Murtada Elfadl,
Variety,
13 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Cause of the issue In a post-flight analysis of the Artemis 1 heat shield, NASA identified more than 100 locations where ablative thermal protective material was liberated during Orion's speedy reentry.—
Leonard David,
Space.com,
17 Feb. 2026
-
But until that moment arrives, reactions of all kinds will occur, continuing to liberate energy.—
Big Think,
Big Think,
16 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
But its last shutdown plan, released in late September, indicates that 91% of its employees would continue to work without pay.—
Riley Beggin,
Arkansas Online,
14 Feb. 2026
-
On day four of the search, the Guthrie siblings released a video on social media.—
Paige Williams,
New Yorker,
14 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
An 80-year-old has been identified as the man who died in a hospital after he and a woman were rescued from a house fire in Northwest Dallas on Wednesday.—
Timia Cobb
Breaking News Reporter,
Dallas Morning News,
15 Feb. 2026
-
Their technician even falls over after rescuing Andersson with a replacement ski.—
Sean Nevin,
NBC news,
14 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
There's also some evidence that cost discipline is loosening a bit.—
Michael Khouw,
CNBC,
17 Feb. 2026
-
Let sit for 10-15 minutes to loosen buildup.—
Louise Parks,
Martha Stewart,
17 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
The actress would go on to struggle with addiction issues and in February 1991, emancipated herself at the age of 14.—
Virginia Chamlee,
PEOPLE,
5 Dec. 2025
-
All the black captives in liberated territories were emancipated, and Amador was proclaimed king.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
5 Dec. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Unfetter.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/unfetter. Accessed 20 Feb. 2026.
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