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 Injuries and off-court discipline led the team to unload him this offseason to Portland. — Andrew Greif, NBC news, 13 Aug. 2026 Once unloaded, that flour went on pallets and was stored in the warehouse and then loaded on ships to be sent overseas. — Dp Opinion, Denver Post, 12 Aug. 2026 As they were stopped at a red light on the Strip, a white Cadillac pulled up alongside their vehicle and a gunman unloaded his weapon. — Cheyenne Roundtree, Rolling Stone, 9 Aug. 2026 Riley worked a full count and then unloaded on a 3-2 splitter that caught too much of the plate. — Chad Bishop, AJC.com, 8 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for unload

Recent Examples of Synonyms for unload

Verb

But for the film’s main characters Marija (Žygimantė Elena Jakštaitė) and Vytas (Marius Repšys), the conflict also serves, in part, as a distraction — a way to avoid unpacking their pain over their messy separation.

— Wilson Chapman, IndieWire, 21 Aug. 2026
For Thomas, unpacking what went wrong goes well beyond the headless bodies, terrifying phone calls and dead ends.

— Aramide Tinubu, Variety, 20 Aug. 2026

Definition of unpack

Verb

Forecasters warn Lala could dump up to 25 inches of rain on steep terrain, driving life-threatening flooding, mudslides, storm surge and dangerous surf that imperil rural residents and key agricultural areas.

— Jennifer Sinco Kelleher, Los Angeles Times, 15 Aug. 2026
The storm was expected to dump more than a foot of rain on much of the Big Island, with isolated amounts over 2 feet possible.

— Dalia Faheid, CNN Money, 15 Aug. 2026

Definition of dump

Verb

About 600 residents in nearby municipalities in Waimes and Bütgenbach, in Liège province near the German border, were told to evacuate Saturday as winds shifted and smoke spread through the area.

— ABC News, ABC News, 16 Aug. 2026
At least 400 have been evacuated in Ravenswood in addition to those evacuated from Broad Ripple on Friday night, Indianapolis public safety officials said at a Saturday press conference.

— Tony Cook, IndyStar, 16 Aug. 2026

Definition of evacuate

Verb

Alas, this compact between viewer and moviemaker is discarded in most contemporary comic book movies.

— Peter Tonguette, The Washington Examiner, 15 Aug. 2026
While the business of cosmetically modified, futuristic-looking pets remains in its infancy, animal rights groups worry that eventually the creatures will be created, sold and later discarded in crowded municipal shelters.

— Dakota Smith, Los Angeles Times, 14 Aug. 2026

Definition of discard

Verb

The order also restricted the removal, discharge or transfer of the child while the case remained pending and gave Gilkar and Ahmed authority over medical decisions within the requirements of the order.

— Raven Brunner, PEOPLE, 18 Aug. 2026
Any remaining student loan balance can be discharged after the borrower has made 120 qualifying payments (and those payments don’t have to be consecutive).

— Adam S. Minsky, Forbes.com, 18 Aug. 2026

Definition of discharge

Verb

French Gates argued balancing philanthropy, advocacy for reproductive rights, motherhood, writing, and entrepreneurship means ditching perfectionism.

— Sarah Glodek, Fortune, 21 Aug. 2026
At the end, the two friends drive off in different directions, with Brian deciding to ditch their high-octane lifestyles to focus on his family.

— Britt Hayes, Entertainment Weekly, 20 Aug. 2026

Definition of ditch

Verb

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
The flip side of Salinger’s bleak depiction is a childhood full of free expression and natural development, unburdened by the power, rules, and discipline imposed by world-weary adults and those prone to power.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 10 Aug. 2026

Definition of unburden

Verb

The researchers’ models suggest that areas near the escarpment could have lost as much as 8 kilometers of rock, with erosion decreasing farther away from the ancient cliff.

— Kaif Shaikh, Interesting Engineering, 21 Aug. 2026
The court dismissed the case against her manager, who also lost his job.

— Simone McCarthy, CNN Money, 21 Aug. 2026

Definition of lose

Browse Nearby Words

unlivable

unload

unloaded

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“Unload.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/unload. Accessed 22 Aug. 2026.

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Synonyms of unload

verb

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