1
as in to unpack
to empty or rid of cargo
the dockworkers unloaded the ship
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
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
His predecessor, Doug McMillon, followed a similarly humble path—starting out unloading trailers at a Walmart distribution center before eventually taking the top job.
—
Preston Fore, Fortune, 7 June 2026
The three men dressed in loose-fitting work pants and hoodies unloaded two laser projectors (one for backup), some lenses, a laptop and battery packs onto carts and brought them to the middle of a pedestrian bridge that crosses over the 101.
—Oren Peleg, HollywoodReporter, 6 June 2026
The incoming team's portion of the cost was $32 million, including chartering the ship and loading and unloading the gear.
—Arkansas Online, 6 June 2026
Critics say congestion can stretch from Market Street to Pine Street when a vehicle stops to unload or make a delivery.
—Ross Dimattei, CBS News, 5 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for unload
Preston Fore, Fortune, 7 June 2026
The three men dressed in loose-fitting work pants and hoodies unloaded two laser projectors (one for backup), some lenses, a laptop and battery packs onto carts and brought them to the middle of a pedestrian bridge that crosses over the 101.
—Oren Peleg, HollywoodReporter, 6 June 2026
The incoming team's portion of the cost was $32 million, including chartering the ship and loading and unloading the gear.
—Arkansas Online, 6 June 2026
Critics say congestion can stretch from Market Street to Pine Street when a vehicle stops to unload or make a delivery.
—Ross Dimattei, CBS News, 5 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for unload
Recent Examples of Synonyms for unload
Verb
-
The series will see her blend humor and analysis to unpack vertical video’s tropes, pacing and audience psychology.—
Jesse Whittock,
Deadline,
9 June 2026
-
Featuring the good, the bad and the ugly, ‘Look of the Week’ is a regular series dedicated to unpacking the most talked about outfit of the last seven days.—
Bianca Betancourt,
CNN Money,
9 June 2026
Verb
-
But especially especially Bea, who got dumped from the island.—
Bethy Squires,
Vulture,
13 June 2026
-
Creating and Browsing Profiles True love takes time, so Match and eharmony are in no rush to dump you right in the middle of the dating pool.—
Jordan Minor,
PC Magazine,
12 June 2026
Verb
-
All employees and staff at the facility were evacuated safely.—
Lyanne Wang,
CBS News,
13 June 2026
-
Other warehouses that surround the Medline Distribution Center were evacuated as a precaution.—
Karen Garcia,
Los Angeles Times,
12 June 2026
Verb
-
Once the inside of the glass is duly coated with crème de violette, invert entirely to discard excess.—
Jeremy Repanich,
Robb Report,
6 June 2026
-
But because neither company can be certain the other will hold the line – and because being left behind is not a good option – the rational choice is to discard safety measures.—
Michael Gregory,
The Conversation,
4 June 2026
Verb
-
Johnson said that officers activated their Tasers and threatened to discharge pepper spray but did not follow through with either tactic.—
Ilana Arougheti
June 10,
Kansas City Star,
10 June 2026
-
Because of this mechanism, supercapacitors feature rapid charging and discharging capabilities, along with exceptionally long operational lifetimes.—
Mrigakshi Dixit,
Interesting Engineering,
10 June 2026
Verb
-
As a surprise, rather than ditching the electrically adjustable climate vent fan direction, which probably costs and weighs more than simple physical sliders, the R2 sticks with the same system as the R1—legitimately an annoyance and one that borders on dangerous.—
ArsTechnica,
ArsTechnica,
9 June 2026
-
In Facebook groups with upwards of 85,000 members, women share how much their period symptoms have improved after ditching tampons for menstrual discs.—
Alyssa Goldberg,
USA Today,
8 June 2026
Verb
-
But on Wednesday, Mendoza pitched herself as unburdened by political connections with a shot that appeared aimed at Johnson’s link to the Chicago Teachers Union and Giannoulias’ to wealthy political insiders.—
Jake Sheridan,
Chicago Tribune,
3 June 2026
-
Unlike so many other athletes who played a sport at the highest level for a long period of time, Nadal didn’t much seem to care to unburden his soul.—
Corey Seymour,
Vogue,
25 May 2026
Verb
-
His co-anchor Lu Parker and longtime KTLA meteorologist Mark Kriski also lost their jobs that day.—
Peter Larsen,
Daily News,
10 June 2026
-
Bussi won 31 of 39 starts in the regular season but lost some steam down the stretch, leading Brind’Amour to go with Andersen, a veteran, in Game 1 of the first round.—
Michael Russo,
New York Times,
10 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Unload.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/unload. Accessed 13 Jun. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
