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

Relevance

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 The robotic arm would unload the contents of the space shuttle’s payload bay. — Joanna Goodrich, IEEE Spectrum, 2 Sep. 2026 Workers in white hazmat suits unload bodies from a stream of ambulances. — Surendra Phuyal, NBC news, 1 Sep. 2026 For his business, the ideal is one that has the strength to unload a truck, and the dexterity to sort lipstick—as some of the humanoids working in his operations can now do. — Diane Brady, Fortune, 31 Aug. 2026 Doxsee’s job consisted mostly of physical labor—unloading boxcars of grain and other materials, hauling them around the factory, and working the bagging machine on the building’s top floor. — Literary Hub, 31 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for unload

Recent Examples of Synonyms for unload

Verb

There’s a lot to unpack, so read on for what September has in store for your zodiac sign.

— Valerie Mesa, PEOPLE, 1 Sep. 2026
Below, The Hollywood Reporter unpacks the season’s eighth reunion’s most memorable moments.

— Carly Thomas, HollywoodReporter, 1 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

Spence, who pleaded guilty to assault in aid of racketeering and discharging a firearm during a crime of violence, could face between 24 and 27-and-a-half years behind bars.

— John Annese, New York Daily News, 8 Sep. 2026
The approach works by controlling how oxygen reacts inside the battery during charging and discharging.

— Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 7 Sep. 2026

Definition of discharge

Verb

The Buffaloes ditched chasing transfers who were former four- and five-star high school athletes from blue-blood programs who had yet to be consistent contributors at the college level.

— Christopher Kamrani, New York Times, 3 Sep. 2026
Understatement rather than flash, over-the-top ditched in favor of restraint.

— Robb Report Studio, Robb Report, 2 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

The Center on Budget and Policy Priorities estimates that over a million children have lost food benefits since July 2025, when the One Big Beautiful Bill Act was signed into law.

— Juliana Kim, NPR, 3 Sep. 2026
The Buffaloes lost seven of their final eight games, including a 53-7 loss to Utah and a 52-17 loss to Arizona.

— Christopher Kamrani, New York Times, 3 Sep. 2026

Definition of lose

Browse Nearby Words

unlivable

unload

unloaded

See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

Style

“Unload.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/unload. Accessed 9 Sep. 2026.

Copy Citation

Synonyms of unload

verb

Example Sentences

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

stigma

Popular in Grammar & Usage

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

Why do we use apostrophes to show possession?

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?

Popular in Wordplay

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Back to School Vocabulary

Words from the 'Odyssey'

Ye Olde Nincompoop: Old-Fashioned Words for 'Stupid'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

Popular

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Back to School Vocabulary

Games & Quizzes