unfettered 1 of 2

adjective

Definition of unfetterednext
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
Too many states and employers are viewing this through a binary lens between those who want unfettered access and those that reject coverage. — Bryan Sivak, Fortune, 23 July 2026 Newsom sought the reforms in a trailer bill to his budget package after declaring that the SIBTF was unfettered and out of control, without the safeguards of the traditional workers’ compensation system. — Tony Saavedra, Oc Register, 16 July 2026 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 See All Example Sentences for unfettered
Recent Examples of Synonyms for unfettered
  1. unleashed
  2. freed
  3. escaped
  4. liberated
  5. unchained
  6. released
  7. uncaged
  8. rescued
Adjective
  • The vibe is enveloping, the songs an easily digestible pastiche of pop splattered with hip-hop and the dancing pinpoint-perfect but loose when the Magnificent Seven are unleashed to showcase their personalities.
    — Melissa Ruggieri, USA Today, 11 Aug. 2026
  • Apartment values appear to have faltered in Oakland, an economic erosion that has unleashed loan delinquencies and even foreclosures in a growing number of instances.
    — George Avalos, Mercury News, 10 Aug. 2026
Definition of unleashed
Verb
  • The bodies of two Belgian climbers who disappeared in the Swiss Alps 34 years ago have been found, freed from the melting Trift Glacier, police said Wednesday.
    — CBS News, CBS News, 19 Aug. 2026
  • While Nikki is freed from Bear’s original wish, she’s left with all of the horrors that came from it — including the deaths of her friends, by her hands.
    — Kelly Allen, PEOPLE, 16 Aug. 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
  • France had already been liberated, but Royan was said to be the site of a smattering of Third Reich dead-enders.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 12 Aug. 2026
  • 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
Definition of liberated
Adjective
  • Often the raconteur side is too unchained.
    — Jed Gottlieb, Boston Herald, 25 May 2026
  • Weisswange glanced around at the machines on either side of us, all of them waiting for repairs, their tracks unchained and gun barrels angled upward.
    — Simon Shuster, The Atlantic, 27 Mar. 2026
Definition of unchained
Verb
  • Hernandez was released the same day on a $50,000 personal recognizance bond with certain conditions, including not to operate any boats or vessels.
    — Martin Goillandeau, CNN Money, 20 Aug. 2026
  • After being jailed, Frederick Spears posted bond and was released.
    — Doug Myers, CBS News, 20 Aug. 2026
Definition of released
Adjective
  • When the urge strikes him, Sam’s uncaged anger leads him to do horrible things.
    — Keith Langston, PEOPLE, 23 Apr. 2026
Definition of uncaged
Verb
  • After spending years locked away in an isolated tower, Rapunzel is eventually rescued by the fugitive thief, Flynn Rider.
    — Tanya Fedak, Variety, 15 Aug. 2026
  • Zimbabwe’s disaster management agency has said 77 people were rescued.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 15 Aug. 2026
Definition of rescued

Browse Nearby Words

unfetter
unfettered
unfettering
See all Nearby Words

Podcast

Cite this Entry

“Unfettered.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/unfettered. Accessed 21 Aug. 2026.

Copy Citation
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of rigmarole

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

How to Pronounce the Trickiest Menu Items

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Do you 'say your piece' or 'say your peace'?

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

Words from the 'Odyssey'

The Longest Long Words List

Even More Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World

Why do we 'bury the lede?'
See More

Popular

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

Words from the 'Odyssey'

The Longest Long Words List
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
image of a green cube out of place in a lineup of red spheres
Odd Word Out: Synonyms Vol. 2 Quiz Figure out which word isn't like the others.
See All