as in escaped
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1
as in loosened
to set free (from a state of being held in check)
unleashed all of his unspoken love for her in a long letter that he hoped he would have the courage to mail
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in released
to find emotional release for
lifting weights is a way for me to unleash all the frustrations of the workday
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Recent Examples of unleashed
Jonathan Franzen, New Yorker, 1 June 2026
Theory was unleashed and attacked Dawkins and Joe Hendry during the night.
—Ryan Gaydos, FOXNews.com, 26 May 2026
Hermeneutics—the work of interpretation once reserved for theological texts—was unleashed upon the world at large.
—Wyatt Williams, Harpers Magazine, 26 May 2026
And from there, titters occasionally came out as the unleashed host moved on to one of the highest forms of comedy, muskrat humor.
—Chris Willman, Variety, 23 May 2026
All hell is unleashed as the aliens representing all kinds of shapes and class divisions from that planet square off with the locals.
—Anthony D'alessandro, Deadline, 18 May 2026
His serious, sometimes ponderous style is most vividly on display in Son of Saul, which uses the nervy technique of keeping the camera very close on one prisoner as hell is unleashed in the periphery.
—Richard Lawson, HollywoodReporter, 17 May 2026
City have been the most consistent team this season, marshalled and unleashed under new manager Andree Jeglertz.
—Megan Feringa, New York Times, 17 May 2026
To find a historical equivalent, scientists have had to reach all the way back to 1877, when a merciless El Niño unleashed death on a scale few events can rival.
—Joe Wilkins, Futurism, 14 May 2026
Ryan Morik, FOXNews.com, 3 June 2026
Our star just unleashed three powerful solar flares in less than 24 hours and potentially sending multiple coronal mass ejections (CMEs) hurtling toward Earth, raising the chances of northern lights displays this week.
—Daisy Dobrijevic, Space.com, 3 June 2026
During extra time English striker Geoff Hurst unleashed a shot that hit the underside of the crossbar, bounced onto (or just behind, depending on your perspective) the goal line, and was cleared.
—Gitanjali Roy, Encyclopedia Britannica, 3 June 2026
The path to this year’s election in the 6th District has exemplified the confusing political game of musical chairs unleashed by Proposition 50’s passage.
—Sacbee.com, 3 June 2026
Kyiv, Ukraine — Moscow unleashed a lethal barrage on Ukraine early Tuesday, hitting the capital Kyiv and the central city of Dnipro in a broad-ranging offensive that inflicted one of the deadliest attacks for months.
—Helen Regan, CNN Money, 2 June 2026
His team unleashed a large advertising buy — a major chunk of his remaining campaign funds — placing spots on cable TV and online beginning in late March.
—Dakota Smith, Los Angeles Times, 1 June 2026
Given one too many opportunities, Chawinga unleashed a true close-range screamer that did not miss.
—Jeff Rosen, Kansas City Star, 30 May 2026
According to public pitch data, Imai never unleashed the sinker during spring training or his first four starts.
—Chandler Rome, New York Times, 26 May 2026
Adjective
Playing the boy, Ganymede, unleashed something in her.
—Jonathan Franzen, New Yorker, 1 June 2026
Theory was unleashed and attacked Dawkins and Joe Hendry during the night.
—Ryan Gaydos, FOXNews.com, 26 May 2026
Hermeneutics—the work of interpretation once reserved for theological texts—was unleashed upon the world at large.
—Wyatt Williams, Harpers Magazine, 26 May 2026
And from there, titters occasionally came out as the unleashed host moved on to one of the highest forms of comedy, muskrat humor.
—Chris Willman, Variety, 23 May 2026
All hell is unleashed as the aliens representing all kinds of shapes and class divisions from that planet square off with the locals.
—Anthony D'alessandro, Deadline, 18 May 2026
His serious, sometimes ponderous style is most vividly on display in Son of Saul, which uses the nervy technique of keeping the camera very close on one prisoner as hell is unleashed in the periphery.
—Richard Lawson, HollywoodReporter, 17 May 2026
City have been the most consistent team this season, marshalled and unleashed under new manager Andree Jeglertz.
—Megan Feringa, New York Times, 17 May 2026
To find a historical equivalent, scientists have had to reach all the way back to 1877, when a merciless El Niño unleashed death on a scale few events can rival.
—Joe Wilkins, Futurism, 14 May 2026
Verb
Fans carried brooms through Manhattan streets in anticipation of a Cavaliers sweep, climbed atop traffic lights while NYPD officers ordered them down and unleashed the kind of basketball pandemonium New York has waited decades to experience again.
—Ryan Morik, FOXNews.com, 3 June 2026
Our star just unleashed three powerful solar flares in less than 24 hours and potentially sending multiple coronal mass ejections (CMEs) hurtling toward Earth, raising the chances of northern lights displays this week.
—Daisy Dobrijevic, Space.com, 3 June 2026
During extra time English striker Geoff Hurst unleashed a shot that hit the underside of the crossbar, bounced onto (or just behind, depending on your perspective) the goal line, and was cleared.
—Gitanjali Roy, Encyclopedia Britannica, 3 June 2026
The path to this year’s election in the 6th District has exemplified the confusing political game of musical chairs unleashed by Proposition 50’s passage.
—Sacbee.com, 3 June 2026
Kyiv, Ukraine — Moscow unleashed a lethal barrage on Ukraine early Tuesday, hitting the capital Kyiv and the central city of Dnipro in a broad-ranging offensive that inflicted one of the deadliest attacks for months.
—Helen Regan, CNN Money, 2 June 2026
His team unleashed a large advertising buy — a major chunk of his remaining campaign funds — placing spots on cable TV and online beginning in late March.
—Dakota Smith, Los Angeles Times, 1 June 2026
Given one too many opportunities, Chawinga unleashed a true close-range screamer that did not miss.
—Jeff Rosen, Kansas City Star, 30 May 2026
According to public pitch data, Imai never unleashed the sinker during spring training or his first four starts.
—Chandler Rome, New York Times, 26 May 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for unleashed
Adjective
-
Residents in the region say they have been targeted by a coalition led by an escaped prisoner who had been condemned to life in prison before escaping.—
Jacqueline Charles,
Miami Herald,
7 May 2026
-
His car was found on the Turkey Creek Bridge near Denver, where he had been abducted by an escaped murderer, Joseph Corbett, looking for a quick get-rich scheme.—
David Faris,
TheWeek,
16 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
That decade, Serie A loosened its prohibition on foreigners, setting quotas that allowed three foreign players per club by 1988.—
Albert Samaha,
New Yorker,
30 May 2026
-
The cabin hadn’t changed, but the reins had been loosened.—
Joe Soucheray,
Twin Cities,
30 May 2026
Verb
-
The victims were identified as Robert Shine, 69; John Carse, 69; and a 79-year-old man whose name was not released pending notification of family.—
Marlene Lenthang,
NBC news,
1 June 2026
-
Around 50 workers have been killed by Israeli fire, and more than 38,000 have been arrested, though many were later released, the official Palestinian WAFA news agency reported Sunday, citing the General Federation of Palestinian Trade Unions.—
Samy Magdy,
Los Angeles Times,
1 June 2026
Adjective
-
And ceasefire, allowing complete unfettered access, and most importantly, a full respect for humanitarian law and humanitarian aid workers, and that simply isn't happening at all right now.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
31 May 2026
-
His social commentary reflected disgust with the unfettered capitalism of the Gilded Age, and his cynical aphorisms became widely quoted.—
Peter Hessler,
New Yorker,
31 May 2026
Verb
-
Law enforcement vehicles typically cannot be unlocked from the back seats.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
1 June 2026
-
Vegas, on the other hand, has unlocked a whole new side of Marner, who was never known as a playoff performer, either.—
Dom Luszczyszyn,
New York Times,
31 May 2026
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
Verb
-
It was delivered by the 7-foot-4 Victor Wembanyama, whose torso uncorked in a fit of frustration that sent his right elbow whipping toward Reid’s windpipe like a torpedo bat flying through the strike zone.—
Jon Krawczynski,
New York Times,
11 May 2026
-
The entire Mets lineup has been marred in an uncharacteristic slump, but in the bottom of the fourth inning on Tuesday night at Citi Field, Juan Soto uncorked a very characteristic home run.—
Abbey Mastracco,
New York Daily News,
29 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Unleashed.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/unleashed. Accessed 4 Jun. 2026.
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