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
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Recent Examples of unloading
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
Although Drake’s clear goal with this triple drop is unloading the clip, there’s a semblance to the sprawl.
—Hattie Lindert, Pitchfork, 15 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.
—Kate Erbland, IndieWire, 14 May 2026
Workers were apparently unloading sulfuric acid from a railcar at the site using compressed air, which firefighters described as a standard procedure.
—Cecilio Padilla, CBS News, 13 May 2026
Nicole TungIndonesian fishermen unloading various species including sharks and wedgefish, which are one of the most threatened species, in Tegal, Indonesia, last June.
—Jay Ganglani, NBC news, 3 May 2026
While unloading his veterans at the trade deadline in February, Karnišovas dealt Dosunmu to Minnesota along with Julian Phillips for Rob Dillingham, Leonard Miller and four second-round draft picks.
—Paul Sullivan, Chicago Tribune, 3 May 2026
McCall recommends unloading it while making coffee, and for extra efficiency, loading dishes from breakfast before heading out.
—Quincy Bulin, Southern Living, 1 May 2026
Nataliia had gone to the bus station, where soldiers were spraying foam to contain the nuclear fallout, and to the hospital, where men in white coats were unloading victims on stretchers from the backs of ambulances.
—Lizzie Johnson, New Yorker, 25 Apr. 2026
Matthew Carey, Deadline, 15 May 2026
Although Drake’s clear goal with this triple drop is unloading the clip, there’s a semblance to the sprawl.
—Hattie Lindert, Pitchfork, 15 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.
—Kate Erbland, IndieWire, 14 May 2026
Workers were apparently unloading sulfuric acid from a railcar at the site using compressed air, which firefighters described as a standard procedure.
—Cecilio Padilla, CBS News, 13 May 2026
Nicole TungIndonesian fishermen unloading various species including sharks and wedgefish, which are one of the most threatened species, in Tegal, Indonesia, last June.
—Jay Ganglani, NBC news, 3 May 2026
While unloading his veterans at the trade deadline in February, Karnišovas dealt Dosunmu to Minnesota along with Julian Phillips for Rob Dillingham, Leonard Miller and four second-round draft picks.
—Paul Sullivan, Chicago Tribune, 3 May 2026
McCall recommends unloading it while making coffee, and for extra efficiency, loading dishes from breakfast before heading out.
—Quincy Bulin, Southern Living, 1 May 2026
Nataliia had gone to the bus station, where soldiers were spraying foam to contain the nuclear fallout, and to the hospital, where men in white coats were unloading victims on stretchers from the backs of ambulances.
—Lizzie Johnson, New Yorker, 25 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for unloading
Verb
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Braden Peters, an online influencer known as Clavicular, was sentenced to six months of probation and ordered to complete 20 hours of community service after pleading no contest in an agreement with Florida prosecutors to unlawfully discharging a firearm in public.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
17 May 2026
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Wearing a suit, the streamer, whose name is Braden Eric Peters, pleaded no contest to unlawfully discharging a firearm in a public place, a misdemeanor.—
Grethel Aguila,
Miami Herald,
15 May 2026
Verb
-
Less than a year ago, investors were dumping the stock as the company’s core search engine business was considered a potential victim of AI disruption.—
Ryan Vlastelica,
Fortune,
10 May 2026
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But beyond costing a pretty penny, there are environmental and climate concerns with dumping all that organic material into the landfill.—
Ashley Miznazi,
Miami Herald,
9 May 2026
Verb
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Transforming the cabin from sitting to sleeping is a group effort that includes unpacking the ladder (usually stowed beneath the seats with the luggage), unfastening the upper bunks, and making the beds.—
Emily Manthei,
Travel + Leisure,
10 May 2026
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As Aronimink Golf Club prepares for the top golfers in the world, chefs are busy chopping fruits and vegetables, unpacking meats, and getting ready to serve thousands of spectators during the PGA Championship.—
Ryan Hughes,
CBS News,
8 May 2026
Verb
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Hull and Ames also face charges of tampering with physical evidence for discarding an expandable baton allegedly used to assault the Moberly teen, records indicate.—
Laura Bauer,
Kansas City Star,
14 May 2026
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Rather than discarding the residual sludge left behind after conventional anaerobic digestion, the system subjects it to an additional treatment stage known as Advanced Wet Oxidation and Steam Explosion (AWOEx).—
New Atlas,
New Atlas,
9 May 2026
Verb
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Natalie Neysa Alund The MV Hondius set sail for the Netherlands on Monday night after evacuating passengers on board from nearly two dozen countries, officials reported.—
Natalie Neysa Alund,
USA Today,
12 May 2026
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The passengers of cruise ship MV Hondius are finally evacuating the vessel, but their journey isn't over yet.—
Nicola Bambini,
Vanity Fair,
10 May 2026
Verb
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Many pro photogs still want a small camera for everyday carry and travel, while Gen Z and older members of Gen Alpha are ditching phones for disconnected devices.—
Jim Fisher,
PC Magazine,
14 May 2026
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Ram made a similar move for the 2025 model year, ditching its former base engine for the more powerful Cummins.—
Caleb Jacobs,
The Drive,
13 May 2026
Verb
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The rest of the production had been much harder—particularly because, to his frustration, he’d been forced to film primarily in Atlanta rather than in Oakland, after a year of maddening delays led to the production losing its California tax rebate.—
Emily Nussbaum,
New Yorker,
17 May 2026
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The Wolves were wiped out by the Spurs in the second round, losing Game 6 by 30 points on Friday night.—
Jon Krawczynski,
New York Times,
17 May 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 18 May. 2026.
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