unloading

verb

present participle of unload
1
as in discharging
to empty or rid of cargo the dockworkers unloaded the ship

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in dumping
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 unloading FedEx is expanding on a robotics pilot to bring autonomous trailer loading and unloading capabilities to a Maryland distribution hub. — Glenn Taylor, Footwear News, 3 Aug. 2026 Broken Items Vacation puts lots of wear and tear on items, whether due to fun in the sun or just loading or unloading luggage. — Maria Sabella, The Spruce, 26 July 2026 The facility has more than 850 robots unloading auto parts, stamping out steel components, putting together car frames, and installing car doors, according to IEEE Spectrum. — Jeremy Hsu, ArsTechnica, 16 July 2026 The soccer coach was unloading balls from his vehicle in the alley behind his home when Wilson, wearing a mask, confronted him with a semiautomatic handgun that had a laser pointer. — Julie Hanson, CBS News, 13 July 2026 Their jobs involve unloading raw sugar arriving by ship at the C&H Sugar facility in Crockett. — Sierra Lopez, Mercury News, 9 July 2026 Cleveland has one or two roster moves to make to be able to pay James $15 million next season instead — unloading Max Strus and Dennis Schröder — but hasn’t done either yet. — Tony Jones, New York Times, 7 July 2026 This picture taken on March 26, 2026 shows an oil tanker unloading crude oil at a port in Yantai, in China's eastern Shandong province. — Justina Lee, CNBC, 6 July 2026 The streets have been shut down around the venue, with trucks unloading equipment for the most anticipated wedding in recent memory. — Jordan Moreau, Variety, 3 July 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for unloading
  1. discharging
  2. dumping
  3. unpacking
  4. discarding
  5. evacuating
  6. ditching
  7. off-loading
  8. losing
Verb
  • Kaine Burnette, 17, surrendered Friday at the Fulton County Jail on charges of reckless conduct, possession of a pistol under the age of 18 and discharging a weapon near a street, officials said.
    — Caroline Silva, AJC.com, 1 Aug. 2026
  • The woman was arrested and faces charges of discharging a firearm and evading arrest.
    — Shambhavi Rimal, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 27 July 2026
Definition of discharging
Verb
  • Many larger animals eat frogs (and other small animals) and may carry them far away from their normal habitat before dumping the bones (either as a regurgitate or poo).
    — Taylor Nicioli, CNN Money, 5 Aug. 2026
  • The woman's son told police that Merriweather forced pills from the victim's medicine into her mouth, followed by dumping a mixed drink down her throat.
    — Chris Hoffman, CBS News, 4 Aug. 2026
Definition of dumping
Verb
  • The expert recommended that travelers do a quick inspection of hotels or short-term rentals, and their belongings before unpacking at home to reduce the chance of transporting the insect.
    — Colson Thayer, PEOPLE, 23 July 2026
  • This fall, the University of Southern California will launch a course about the creative ecosystem around Scott and Cactus Jack, unpacking how an individual can turn their talent into a full-scale creative platform.
    — Angelique Jackson, Variety, 22 July 2026
Definition of unpacking
Verb
  • By decoding the reasoning and visual cues behind user preferences, the company said the platform converts these inputs into valuable insights rather than discarding them as clutter.
    — Arthur Zaczkiewicz, Footwear News, 4 Aug. 2026
  • Marvel similarly spent a decade effectively building its stories and characters toward Infinity War and Endgame has since been criticized for floundering a bit — awkwardly trying and discarding various characters and stories.
    — James Hibberd, HollywoodReporter, 3 Aug. 2026
Definition of discarding
Verb
  • Officials on Monday began evacuating two villages near the volcano, which is located 22 miles from the capital, Guatemala City.
    — CBS News, CBS News, 4 Aug. 2026
  • George and Amal Clooney are standing by their French community after evacuating their home as wildfires spread across parts of Europe.
    — Charlie Carballo, USA Today, 30 July 2026
Definition of evacuating
Verb
  • But the images of young Moroccans marching up the shoreline, ditching inflatable tubes along their way, have forced Europe into a debate over how countries can manage migration humanely while maintaining control of their borders.
    — Colette Davidson, Christian Science Monitor, 3 Aug. 2026
  • This buttery-soft basic is worth ditching your frumpy tees for.
    — Olivia Cigliano, InStyle, 1 Aug. 2026
Definition of ditching
Verb
  • Following quickly on the heels of spinning off Versant Media earlier this year, Comcast is now off-loading the entirety of NBCUniversal.
    — Howard Homonoff, Forbes.com, 7 July 2026
  • Off-loading tasks such as writing code might result in cognitive atrophy over the long term, and that is problematic in itself, but off-loading ethical decisions will result in an atrophy of moral reasoning, which is worse.
    — Ted Chiang, The Atlantic, 3 June 2026
Definition of off-loading
Verb
  • After all, Femi, after losing once to Lesnar, has no business losing to anyone else on WWE’s roster anytime soon.
    — Blake Oestriecher, Forbes.com, 2 Aug. 2026
  • Those allegations had resulted in her losing custody of her children long before the shooting.
    — Isabel Rosales, CNN Money, 2 Aug. 2026
Definition of losing

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unloaded
unloading
unloads
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Cite this Entry

“Unloading.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/unloading. Accessed 8 Aug. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on unloading

Nglish: Translation of unloading for Spanish Speakers

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