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
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Zelenskyy said Ukraine’s decision on how to engage with those discussions was shaped in part by the prospect of freeing its prisoners.—
Darlene Superville,
Chicago Tribune,
9 May 2026
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In an emergency filing, state officials said the high court's decision about Louisiana's congressional map should free Alabama from having to use a map that included a second majority-Black district to comply with the civil rights law.—
Maureen Groppe,
USA Today,
8 May 2026
Verb
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During the Iraq War, the popular narrative was that our heroic soldiers and marines were going in to liberate the people, free women, and topple a brutal dictator—the same nonsense we are fed now about Iran.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
28 Apr. 2026
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That audience members, by virtue of access to a camera, keyboard, and the Internet, can capture, compile, edit, frame, and package an event as news without any regard to journalistic ethics is liberating and constraining at the same time.—
Shepherd Mpofu,
Encyclopedia Britannica,
27 Apr. 2026
Verb
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The city also hasn’t released a calculation of how many new units would be required if SB 79 ends up affecting 52 bus stops instead of four.—
David Garrick,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
9 May 2026
-
No motive has been released, as of Friday afternoon.—
Alexandra Koch,
FOXNews.com,
9 May 2026
Verb
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Parker and Larsen then went back inside the house to ensure there were no other people inside, and rescued two cats and a dog in the process.—
Lexi Lane,
PEOPLE,
3 May 2026
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Hundreds of beagles rescued from a Wisconsin research lab arrived at Big Dog Ranch Rescue in Loxahatchee Groves on Saturday night and will soon be available for adoption, the rescue posted on Facebook on Sunday.—
Lois K. Solomon,
Sun Sentinel,
3 May 2026
Verb
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But the federal action comes as teen vaping rates have dropped to a 10-year low and manufacturers have pushed the Republican administration to loosen restrictions on their products.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
6 May 2026
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Qureshi noted that stablecoins are loosening the iron grip that governments have long wielded over their populations’ money supply, Fortune reported.—
Sheryl Estrada,
Fortune,
6 May 2026
Verb
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After mutual suspicion, the two arrived at a reluctant truce in which Paul was free to bring non-Jews into the Jesus movement, emancipating them from Jewish ritual, while the original Jerusalem circle continued to keep kosher, circumcise, and all the rest.—
Adam Gopnik,
New Yorker,
13 Apr. 2026
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His new psychological thriller follows a woman, played by Molly Windsor, who is attempting to emancipate herself from a religious cult.—
Madeleine Janz,
PEOPLE,
1 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Unfetter.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/unfetter. Accessed 10 May. 2026.
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