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
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Recent Examples of unloading
As soon as one plane finished unloading passengers, another was right behind it.
—
Jeff Wagner, CBS News, 19 June 2026
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 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
Down in the pit, on a raw October night in 1966, one of the giant haulers was unloading its tonnage when the pistons of its dump bed seized up.
—Jonathan Franzen, New Yorker, 1 June 2026
Durable enough to handle the elements, this waterproof light features a comfortable elastic strap and a bright, adjustable beam that improves visibility while keeping both hands free for unloading luggage, handling car repairs, or setting up camp in the dark.
—Sophie Dodd, Travel + Leisure, 31 May 2026
At this moment, on this Saturday morning, crew members representing nearly every team focused their attention on one specific team unloading one specific car.
—Jordan Bianchi, New York Times, 23 May 2026
Perry dropped Diaz with a knee in the closing seconds, unloading uppercuts, elbows and hooks as Diaz tried to bounce away from the fence.
—Brian Mazique, Forbes.com, 16 May 2026
Dahlia, a disillusioned police aide, breaks into the mansion of the corrupt police chief Bernal and steals the money from his safe, unloading the funds to slum dwellers whose settlement Bernal razed down.
—Matthew Carey, Deadline, 15 May 2026
Jeff Wagner, CBS News, 19 June 2026
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 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
Down in the pit, on a raw October night in 1966, one of the giant haulers was unloading its tonnage when the pistons of its dump bed seized up.
—Jonathan Franzen, New Yorker, 1 June 2026
Durable enough to handle the elements, this waterproof light features a comfortable elastic strap and a bright, adjustable beam that improves visibility while keeping both hands free for unloading luggage, handling car repairs, or setting up camp in the dark.
—Sophie Dodd, Travel + Leisure, 31 May 2026
At this moment, on this Saturday morning, crew members representing nearly every team focused their attention on one specific team unloading one specific car.
—Jordan Bianchi, New York Times, 23 May 2026
Perry dropped Diaz with a knee in the closing seconds, unloading uppercuts, elbows and hooks as Diaz tried to bounce away from the fence.
—Brian Mazique, Forbes.com, 16 May 2026
Dahlia, a disillusioned police aide, breaks into the mansion of the corrupt police chief Bernal and steals the money from his safe, unloading the funds to slum dwellers whose settlement Bernal razed down.
—Matthew Carey, Deadline, 15 May 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for unloading
Verb
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Always use caution when possessing, using or discharging fireworks.—
Jennifer McRae,
CBS News,
12 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
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The film showed a bowl of soup, and then a hand dumping oyster crackers into it (something of the pottage equivalent of marshmallows in hot chocolate).—
Ian Bogost,
The Atlantic,
16 June 2026
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Start by dumping of that new, spicy chicken sandwich and bringing back the original one - which was by far better than every other chicken sandwich, IMHO.—
Joe Kinsey OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
16 June 2026
Verb
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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.—
Fiona Sinclair Scott,
CNN Money,
17 June 2026
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As the Fashion News Editor at British Vogue, Daniel Rodgers covers a broad range of topics, unpacking the effects of culture on clothing.—
Daniel Rodgers,
Vogue,
17 June 2026
Verb
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Heuermann admitted to killing the women and discarding their remains in Suffolk County between 1993 and 2010.—
Janelle Griffith,
PEOPLE,
17 June 2026
-
Soak all fireworks in water before discarding.—
Jennifer McRae,
CBS News,
12 June 2026
Verb
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Abbey Johnston, Chief of Fire and Rescue for Bedford County, said at a news conference that the pastor was in the process of evacuating people from the tent due to changes in the weather.—
Jeanine Santucci,
USA Today,
13 June 2026
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Johnston said the pastor was in the process of evacuating the tent, which has seats for 1,500, when the collapse occurred.—
Phil Helsel,
NBC news,
13 June 2026
Verb
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Kenji Tanigaki’s Hong Kong epic, which opens in American theaters today via Lionsgate Films, stars some of the world’s most talented martial artists fighting quickly as a steady camera follows, ditching any blurriness that might come from lesser hands.—
William Earl,
Variety,
12 June 2026
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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
Verb
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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
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The canister was still wedged in my crotch, off-loading its contents like a homemade Roman candle.—
Charlie Sheen,
HollywoodReporter,
3 Sep. 2019
Verb
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Avoid puddles - Driving into puddles or low rainwater areas can lead to vehicles hydroplaning or losing control.—
KANSAS CITY STAR WEATHER BOT,
Kansas City Star,
14 June 2026
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Avoid puddles - Driving into puddles or low rainwater areas can lead to vehicles hydroplaning or losing control.—
NC Weather Bot,
Charlotte Observer,
13 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Unloading.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/unloading. Accessed 20 Jun. 2026.
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