unload

verb

ˌən-ˈlōd How to pronounce unload (audio)
Definition of unloadnext
1
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
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 This has allowed vessels to make shuttle runs in and out, then unload oil to other tankers that deliver the cargo to customers. — Jason Ma, Fortune, 23 Aug. 2026 At 14, Ribar's great-grandpa was unloading train cars at the Minnesota fair, eventually climbing the ranks to become superintendent of the grounds. — Courtney Crowder, Des Moines Register, 21 Aug. 2026 Unloading began the following evening but progressed slowly, and only the fish manure and oil drums ended up being unloaded. — Frannie Comstock, Encyclopedia Britannica, 20 Aug. 2026 The girl and the driver got out and started unloading her things. — Literary Hub, 20 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for unload
Recent Examples of Synonyms for unload
  1. unpack
  2. dump
  3. evacuate
  4. discard
  5. discharge
  6. ditch
  7. unburden
  8. lose
Verb
  • Traditionally, a cargo consignment from Chennai to Frankfurt would need to be unpacked at Delhi Airport, with each individual package undergoing the security re-screening before being loaded onto an onward flight to Frankfurt.
    — Glenn Taylor, Footwear News, 26 Aug. 2026
  • The reunion sees season eight winners (Trinity and Bryce), fan-favorite couples and bombshells reunite to unpack some of the season’s biggest and drama-filled moments.
    — Carly Thomas, HollywoodReporter, 26 Aug. 2026
Definition of unpack
Verb
  • During that interview with Sportsnet's Arden Zwelling, teammates attempted to join the celebration, with Guerrero and Straw attempting to dump water over Lukes as part of the team’s tradition.
    — Peter Chawaga, Forbes.com, 29 Aug. 2026
  • These men never anticipated being dumped in a New Jersey ditch so far from home.
    — Jennifer Janofsky, The Conversation, 28 Aug. 2026
Definition of dump
Verb
  • There were no campers on site when the fire occurred, and camp personnel was safely evacuated.
    — Harriet Ramos, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 30 Aug. 2026
  • Nine Americans total had been evacuated, Pigott said, up from five on Friday.
    — David Brennan, ABC News, 30 Aug. 2026
Definition of evacuate
Verb
  • Peeling, trimming, and discarding green portions are the most effective measures to ensure a potato is safe to eat.
    — Anne Wolf, Martha Stewart, 29 Aug. 2026
  • If that prediction is wrong, the processor discards the work, although traces can remain behind.
    — Atharva Gosavi, Interesting Engineering, 28 Aug. 2026
Definition of discard
Verb
  • Although the emergency room remains a safety net, my patient was reluctant to go, knowing he might be discharged with a bill if not deemed sick enough for admission.
    — Benjamin I. Lee, STAT, 24 Aug. 2026
  • Though Jackson discharged hundreds of largely incapacitated patients into homes chosen, and sometimes owned, by Solano, there is little evidence that the hospital engaged in any meaningful, routine oversight.
    — Carol Marbin Miller, Miami Herald, 21 Aug. 2026
Definition of discharge
Verb
  • When the brothers arrived in court two days later, the jewel tones were ditched, and each wore a drab tan prison jumpsuit.
    — Jonny Hallam, CNN Money, 27 Aug. 2026
  • But several of the House members said the agency and others providing bus service need to make sure that there is enough parking, shade, water and other necessities so that customers are willing to ditch their cars.
    — James Rainey, Los Angeles Times, 27 Aug. 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
  • After the launch of the iPhone in 2007 transformed the smartphone industry, BlackBerry fought hard to keep its consumer mobile division alive with new devices — but ultimately lost the battle.
    — Arjun Kharpal,Kai Nicol-Schwarz, CNBC, 28 Aug. 2026
  • How did Bi work for Bryan for any length of time without absolutely losing his mind?
    — Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 28 Aug. 2026
Definition of lose

Browse Nearby Words

unlivable
unload
unloaded
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Cite this Entry

“Unload.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/unload. Accessed 1 Sep. 2026.

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