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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Yet, he has been freed 15 times on parole, and so far has spent more than 400 days outside prison.—
Rhea Mogul,
CNN Money,
6 Feb. 2026
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His wife was held for 51 days before she was freed in November 2023 under a previous ceasefire.—
DARLENE SUPERVILLE THE ASSOCIATED PRESS,
Arkansas Online,
6 Feb. 2026
Verb
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This is a delicate, unexpectedly powerful slice of cinema literally unveiled, the filmmakers as liberated as the characters hope to one day be.—
Ryan Lattanzio,
IndieWire,
3 Feb. 2026
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The deregulatory agenda, the most significant since President Ronald Reagan’s, has begun to liberate households and businesses from the dictates of Washington’s bureaucracy.—
Business Columnist,
Los Angeles Times,
3 Feb. 2026
Verb
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In a tranche of files released in December, Clinton was pictured with Epstein and his accomplice, Ghislane Maxwell, as well as with women whose faces have been redacted.—
Claire Carter,
The Washington Examiner,
7 Feb. 2026
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This seems odd but ripening fruit releases small amounts of ethylene gas which can reduce the longevity of the arrangement.—
Chris McKeown,
Cincinnati Enquirer,
7 Feb. 2026
Verb
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But Armenia didn’t need rescuing.—
Marlise Kast-Myers,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
8 Feb. 2026
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Earlier this evening, members of our Scuba Team, Aviation Unit, Emergency Service Unit, and the @FDNY rescued three individuals from frozen waters in Far Rockaway.—
Colin Mixson,
New York Daily News,
7 Feb. 2026
Verb
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The Fed loosened anyway — a rational response to the severe downturn — and inflation remained low for years to come.—
Steve Chapman,
Chicago Tribune,
4 Feb. 2026
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The Bucks won’t be, either, and that loosens trade restrictions on deals involving those two teams.—
Barry Jackson,
Miami Herald,
3 Feb. 2026
Verb
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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
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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 9 Feb. 2026.
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