UNFETTERED Synonyms: 80 Similar and Opposite Words

unfettered 1 of 2

adjective

Definition of unfettered

as in unleashed

Related Words

Relevance

Dissimilar Words

unfettered

2 of 2

verb

past tense of unfetter

as in freed

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

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 unfettered

Adjective

Now Eddie and Susie must decide whether to take action or risk losing it all, but unfettered ambition never ends well. — Denise Petski, Deadline, 9 July 2026 In the book, Leganski offers a rare, unfettered account of what goes into becoming speaker of the House, and takes digs at enemies. — Zak Hudak, CBS News, 19 June 2026 Except for the unfettered devotion in the latter is replaced by swooping strings and a gushy chorus that merely offer an antiseptic veneer. — Melissa Ruggieri, USA Today, 18 June 2026 Best Handheld For full, unfettered access to each mess, many of our editors prefer a handheld device to get into every nook and cranny. — Blake Bakkila, Architectural Digest, 12 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for unfettered

Recent Examples of Synonyms for unfettered

Adjective

The slump in office leasing also unleashed waves of slumping values, failed property loans and even foreclosures of delinquent mortgages.

— George Avalos, Mercury News, 16 July 2026
The 24-year-old Italian hung in with his serve and his scrambling as Zverev unleashed wave after wave of unreturned serves and laser forehands, before clicking into gear to come from a set down and lift the trophy again, 6-7(7), 7-6(2), 6-3, 6-4.

— Ava Wallace, New York Times, 13 July 2026

Definition of unleashed

Verb

An additional 10% could be freed up if the stock closes at least 30% above the IPO price for five of the ten trading days heading into the report.

— Lora Kolodny,Samantha Subin, CNBC, 21 July 2026
After firefighters freed her, paramedics took her to Scripps Memorial Hospital La Jolla, where she was pronounced dead.

— City News Service, San Diego Union-Tribune, 20 July 2026

Definition of freed

Adjective

Video released by the Washoe County Sheriff's Office shows deputies finding 23-year-old Chase Orput lying shirtless on railroad tracks moments before taking the escaped inmate back into custody.

— Stepheny Price, FOXNews.com, 29 July 2026
Before the successful capture, the Galahad SPCA said it had been asked not to capture the escaped marsupial or otherwise intervene.

— Bailey Richards, PEOPLE, 17 June 2026

Definition of escaped

Verb

Indeed, by then, the hypnotic spell had been cast across all of Europe, including on those liberated from the drab tyrannies of actually existing socialism.

— Cynthia Zarin, Harpers Magazine, 28 July 2026
He was born in western Ukraine and attended a military school in Kharkiv – the city liberated by Ukrainian forces in 2022 after a brutal Russian occupation early in the war.

— Issy Ronald, CNN Money, 21 July 2026

Definition of liberated

Verb

Hur, following his investigation into Biden’s alleged mishandling of classified documents, released a lengthy report in February 2024 that concluded no criminal charges were warranted against Biden.

— Antonio Pequeño IV, Forbes.com, 30 July 2026
Under Georgia law, a judge can decide whether a defendant serves that sentence in prison or on probation, so Colin Gray could be released Thursday.

— Eric Levenson, CNN Money, 30 July 2026

Definition of released

Verb

Roughly 35 Los Angeles city firefighters rescued a man stuck in his work truck inside a commercial building following a crash in Pacific Palisades on Thursday morning.

— Andrew J. Campa, Los Angeles Times, 31 July 2026
Three missing scuba divers were rescued after they became separated from their boat in rough conditions in the Florida Keys on Wednesday, July 29, 2026.

— Steven Yablonski, CBS News, 31 July 2026

Definition of rescued

Browse Nearby Words

unfetter

unfettered

unfettering

See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

Style

“Unfettered.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/unfettered. Accessed 2 Aug. 2026.

Copy Citation

Synonyms of unfettered

adjective

verb

Example Sentences

Browse Nearby Words

Podcast

Cite this Entry

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

highfalutin

Popular in Grammar & Usage

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

Why does English have so many silent letters?

Your vs. You're: How to Use Them Correctly

Popular in Wordplay

Dutch Treat and French Leave: Eight Place-Based Compounds

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List

The Words of the Week - Jul. 31

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)

Popular

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words

Dutch Treat and French Leave: Eight Place-Based Compounds

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

Games & Quizzes