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!
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of unloading
Even listening to a favorite song and dancing around the kitchen while unloading the dishwasher can become a beloved family ritual—just think about what brings your family joy, and go from there.
—
Erica Jackson Curran, Parents, 11 Jan. 2026
State officials said the flatbed was owned by J and A Towing, a business in Belding, Michigan, and that Greenville Steel was not involved in unloading the forklift.
—Nick Lentz, CBS News, 11 Jan. 2026
The kids cheered as teachers, staff, and an Enchanted Backpack crew began unloading boxes full of school supplies, books, games, clothing and other items for the students.
—Carole Carlson, Chicago Tribune, 9 Jan. 2026
In recent weeks, powerful atmospheric river storms have swept across Washington, Oregon and California, unloading enormous amounts of rain.
—Farshid Vahedifard, The Conversation, 29 Dec. 2025
As condo owners have been slapped with high fees and assessments that make their units difficult to sell, Zalewski expects people to start unloading their units and taking major losses.
—Catherine Odom, Miami Herald, 29 Dec. 2025
That would include unloading shortstop Corey Seager.
—Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 19 Dec. 2025
The technology is geared at speeding up the process of unloading trucks at warehouses, which often takes four or more staffers and can be physically demanding.
—Glenn Taylor, Sourcing Journal, 16 Dec. 2025
Yolo County officials in a news release Wednesday afternoon said the two dump trucks were unloading at the facility when one of the trucks had an undisclosed accident causing its load to tip over onto the adjacent truck’s cab and its driver.
—Darrell Smith, Sacbee.com, 10 Dec. 2025
Erica Jackson Curran, Parents, 11 Jan. 2026
State officials said the flatbed was owned by J and A Towing, a business in Belding, Michigan, and that Greenville Steel was not involved in unloading the forklift.
—Nick Lentz, CBS News, 11 Jan. 2026
The kids cheered as teachers, staff, and an Enchanted Backpack crew began unloading boxes full of school supplies, books, games, clothing and other items for the students.
—Carole Carlson, Chicago Tribune, 9 Jan. 2026
In recent weeks, powerful atmospheric river storms have swept across Washington, Oregon and California, unloading enormous amounts of rain.
—Farshid Vahedifard, The Conversation, 29 Dec. 2025
As condo owners have been slapped with high fees and assessments that make their units difficult to sell, Zalewski expects people to start unloading their units and taking major losses.
—Catherine Odom, Miami Herald, 29 Dec. 2025
That would include unloading shortstop Corey Seager.
—Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 19 Dec. 2025
The technology is geared at speeding up the process of unloading trucks at warehouses, which often takes four or more staffers and can be physically demanding.
—Glenn Taylor, Sourcing Journal, 16 Dec. 2025
Yolo County officials in a news release Wednesday afternoon said the two dump trucks were unloading at the facility when one of the trucks had an undisclosed accident causing its load to tip over onto the adjacent truck’s cab and its driver.
—Darrell Smith, Sacbee.com, 10 Dec. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for unloading
Verb
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Officer Bryan Shields opened fire on Cortez with a handgun, discharging a total of about 12 rounds.—
City News Service,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
8 Jan. 2026
-
He was charged, along with two others, with assault and battery with a dangerous weapon, discharging a handgun within 500 feet of a dwelling and unlicensed possession of a firearm.—
Tim Dunn,
Boston Herald,
7 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Some universities are now dumping buyout funds at discounts following years of poor returns, while public stocks have outperformed the asset class.—
Phil Serafino,
Bloomberg,
27 Jan. 2026
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As a major winter storm began dumping snow across the Baltimore area early Sunday, several hundred employees at Sinai Hospital stayed to keep the hospital running and patients cared for.—
Josh Davis,
Baltimore Sun,
26 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Written, performed, and produced by Franklin, Be True uses emotional transparency and humor to narrate the process of unpacking grief, faith, self-reckoning, and renewal.—
Elizabeth Ayoola,
Essence,
29 Jan. 2026
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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.—
Leah Dolan,
CNN Money,
29 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Drain, discarding the soaking liquid.—
The Know,
Denver Post,
24 Jan. 2026
-
Add pork, discarding the excess sauce.—
Gretchen McKay,
Twin Cities,
22 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Madera said from personal experience, evacuating in such a short time can be overwhelming.—
Amy Johnson,
CBS News,
15 Jan. 2026
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The evacuating Crew-11 includes NASA astronauts Mike Fincke and Zena Cardman, Japanese Aerospace Exploration Agency astronaut Kimiya Yui and Russian cosmonaut Oleg Platonov.—
Claire Cameron,
Scientific American,
15 Jan. 2026
Verb
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From delving into textile heritage in India to learning about sustainable design in Copenhagen, here are sought-after trips stylists are offering—and why travelers are ditching classic destinations for further afield.—
Rebecca Ann Hughes,
Forbes.com,
21 Jan. 2026
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The couple went head-to-head at the National Curling Academy in Stirling, with Kate ditching her blue tartan coat and heeled boots for a black turtleneck and flat black boots to participate in the sport.—
Rachel Burchfield,
InStyle,
20 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Wynn ended up getting an open look at the basket on a 3-point attempt from the wing, but the shot bounced off the rim with two seconds left and the Tritons (13-6, 8-1) celebrated the victory after losing their first conference game on Thursday night against visiting UC Davis.—
Dan Arritt,
Oc Register,
25 Jan. 2026
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The subscription economy is still growing, but the mechanics that once powered that growth are losing effectiveness.—
Kolawole Samuel Adebayo,
Forbes.com,
25 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Anthropic has raised concerns over students off-loading cognitive work to AI systems, and OpenAI has acknowledged that dependence on AI tools more generally is a problem.—
Lila Shroff,
The Atlantic,
1 Dec. 2025
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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
Cite this Entry
“Unloading.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/unloading. Accessed 1 Feb. 2026.
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