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
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
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
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
By manufacturing satellite components in space, the company hopes to unfetter some of those launch constraints.
—Eric Berger, Ars Technica, 29 July 2019
Unfettered by worries about his relationship, Caldwell thrived.
—Jason Blevins, The Denver Post, 18 May 2017
Nikk Ogasa, Scientific American, 22 Sep. 2021
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
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
By manufacturing satellite components in space, the company hopes to unfetter some of those launch constraints.
—Eric Berger, Ars Technica, 29 July 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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The raptor stayed on top of her, even as the woman’s partner tried to free her.—
Joshua Rapp Learn,
Smithsonian Magazine,
14 July 2025
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And, of course, using social media less could also free up more time for parents to spend playing with their kids.—
Kara Alaimo,
CNN Money,
13 July 2025
Verb
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Women were liberated to work and contribute during the war and then were basically told to get back behind the stove.—
Jenelle Riley,
Variety,
15 July 2025
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This era saw the launch of a new generation of media stars liberated from any editorial authority that might submit their assertions to a fact check.—
Clarence Page,
Chicago Tribune,
13 July 2025
Verb
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Regarding Trump's assertions, the White House pointed NPR to a 2022 analysis done by the district attorney's office in Yolo County, Calif., which found that most of the 595 people released there without bail during the study period committed new crimes.—
Meg Anderson,
NPR,
21 July 2025
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Tammi made her feature directorial debut with the supernatural horror film The Wind, which premiered at the Toronto Film Festival in 2018 and was released by IFC Midnight.—
Matt Grobar,
Deadline,
21 July 2025
Verb
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Two cats, a ferret and a dog were rescued, though the dog, a German shepherd, escaped and has not been found, fire Chief David Haywood said.—
Olivia Stevens,
Chicago Tribune,
14 July 2025
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Two residents were rescued from windows as the house burned.—
Grace Zokovitch,
Boston Herald,
13 July 2025
Verb
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Work on resolving your insecurities and loosen the reins.—
Jeanne Phillips,
Mercury News,
22 July 2025
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Amid diminishing box office returns and creative troubles, Marvel's vice-like grip on the cinematic superhero genre is loosening.—
Randall Colburn,
EW.com,
19 July 2025
Verb
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Abolitionists, farmers, emancipated Blacks, mechanics, prohibitionists, and populists all used fusion voting during the 19th century to make sure that their voices were heard by their fellow citizens as well as the leaders of this vast, diverse nation.—
Josh Hammer,
MSNBC Newsweek,
8 July 2025
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The South American liberation leader Simón Bolívar emancipated the slave laborers who worked on his family’s estate—unlike George Washington and Thomas Jefferson.—
Book Marks
July 3,
Literary Hub,
3 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Unfetter.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/unfetter. Accessed 29 Jul. 2025.
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