UNLOAD Synonyms: 81 Similar and Opposite Words

unload

verb

ˌən-ˈlōd

Definition of unload

as in to unpack

to empty or rid of cargo the dockworkers unloaded the ship

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in to dump

to get rid of as useless or unwanted I can't seem to unload this old car—even the charities won't take it!

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 unload Texas does not have laws requiring guns to be stored locked and unloaded, according to the Giffords Law Center to Prevent Gun Violence. — Ciara McCarthy, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 11 Sep. 2026 We volunteers formed a fire line, one arm’s-length apart on either side, and started unloading the boxes. — Rob Sheffield, Rolling Stone, 11 Sep. 2026 Cars would pull up and more goods would be unloaded, and then there was another car or truck or fan doing the same, part of an endless parade. — Mike Lupica, New York Daily News, 11 Sep. 2026 The outspoken Jewish comedian unloaded on X, calling the performance a total nightmare while publicly questioning Sheeran’s decision to share a stage with the musician. — Staff, FOXNews.com, 10 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for unload

Recent Examples of Synonyms for unload

Verb

Bedward joins the latest edition of Deadline’s Doc Talk podcast to unpack her findings.

— Matthew Carey, Deadline, 15 Sep. 2026
There’s a lot to unpack; watch or listen to the full conversation here.

— Andrew Nusca, Fortune, 14 Sep. 2026

Definition of unpack

Verb

By the time Warners dumped it into theaters, however, too many bad feelings had accumulated between the executives and Ferrara for anyone to have much incentive to make the picture a success.

— Jim Hemphill, IndieWire, 4 Sep. 2026
Auger-Aliassime was moving lethargically, not showing a lot of energy, dumping water on his head during changeovers to cool down.

— Lukas Weese, New York Times, 3 Sep. 2026

Definition of dump

Verb

After the north tower was hit first by an American Airlines plane, Aon started evacuating its employees in the south tower, a move that was not taken by some other companies where employees were told to remain in place.

— Christopher Keating, Hartford Courant, 6 Sep. 2026
Images showed him being evacuated by helicopter, with an army medic checking on him during the flight.

— Shristi Kafle, Los Angeles Times, 5 Sep. 2026

Definition of evacuate

Verb

Ortega previously pleaded guilty to carjacking and discharge of a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence.

— Christian Cervantes, AZCentral.com, 11 Sep. 2026
On the west side of the property, which Fort Worth owns, there are tanks and other equipment for receiving, clarifying and treating wastewater before it is discharged into the nearby West Fork of the Trinity River.

— Matthew Adams, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 11 Sep. 2026

Definition of discharge

Verb

By ditching all-wheel drive for pure rear-wheel drive, VW is hoping driving dynamics, tactile steering feedback and chassis playfulness means more to modern buyers than raw neck-snapping speed.

— New Atlas, New Atlas, 17 Sep. 2026
Even if the budget for the Emmys stays flat, there are other upsides to ditching broadcast and having a stable home.

— Josef Adalian, Vulture, 17 Sep. 2026

Definition of ditch

Verb

These outsiders, like executives or academics from different fields, offer crucial external perspectives, unburdened by internal assumptions or politics.

— Benjamin Laker, Forbes.com, 23 Aug. 2026
The very nature of the oral tradition, which is decidedly African and characteristically unburdened by the rules of Western record-keeping, is the spirit of its truth, even more than its detail.

— Anne Haley, Time, 11 Aug. 2026

Definition of unburden

Verb

New characters are introduced, many interesting details are offered, yet the narration never loses its focus, every sentence adding to the characters’ mounting sense of powerlessness in the face of such a tragic death.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 18 Sep. 2026
And last Sunday, in these pages, Coulter lamented losing his unfettered discretion on where to shelve books.

— Robert Steinbuch, Arkansas Online, 18 Sep. 2026

Definition of lose

Browse Nearby Words

unlivable

unload

unloaded

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Style

“Unload.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/unload. Accessed 19 Sep. 2026.

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Synonyms of unload

verb

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