unshackling

verb

present participle of unshackle
as in emancipating

Related Words

Relevance

Dissimilar Words

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for unshackling
  1. emancipating
  2. liberating
  3. freeing
  4. enfranchising
  5. springing
  6. unlocking
Verb
  • After mutual suspicion, the two arrived at a reluctant truce in which Paul was free to bring non-Jews into the Jesus movement, emancipating them from Jewish ritual, while the original Jerusalem circle continued to keep kosher, circumcise, and all the rest.
    — Adam Gopnik, New Yorker, 13 Apr. 2026
Definition of emancipating
Verb
  • And yet, liberating writing from the capitalist ethic has its own value.
    — M. C. Mah, Literary Hub, 19 Aug. 2026
  • For Russian propagandists, the Azov Brigade, which began as a nationalist militia, was shorthand for the supposedly fascist influences from which Vladimir Putin claimed to be liberating Ukraine.
    — Joshua Yaffa, New Yorker, 10 Aug. 2026
Definition of liberating
Verb
  • United regularly exploited Everton’s 4-1-4-1 system, sending runners down the side of Garner as the solitary No 6 and freeing Rashford in his mismatch up against Rohl.
    — Patrick Boyland, New York Times, 6 Sep. 2026
  • Her existence is solitary by design, freeing her up to disappear into her studies at all hours of the night, the doors of every institution seemingly always ready to welcome her into its stacks and viewing stations and leather reading chairs.
    — Alison Willmore, Vulture, 3 Sep. 2026
Definition of freeing
Verb
  • The Radical Republican Congressman Thaddeus Stevens, as Michael Waldman writes in The Fight to Vote, was even blunter than Sumner about the necessity of enfranchising Black men.
    — Adam Serwer, The Atlantic, 19 May 2026
Definition of enfranchising
Verb
  • Shelton springing east and west along the baseline, showing a rally tolerance and return strategy that lasted for hours.
    — James Hansen, New York Times, 9 Sep. 2026
  • In practical terms, that means no falling back in November and no springing forward in March.
    — Tiffany Acosta, AZCentral.com, 9 Sep. 2026
Definition of springing
Verb
  • Here are our top tips for unlocking affordable airfares through the end of the year.
    — Jessica Puckett, Condé Nast Traveler, 4 Sep. 2026
  • For critics, the carts are running amok, parking illegally, worsening congestion and unlocking another level of overtourism.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 4 Sep. 2026
Definition of unlocking
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.

Browse Nearby Words

unshackles
unshackling
unshakable
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Unshackling.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/unshackling. Accessed 13 Sep. 2026.

Copy Citation
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of shofar

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

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'?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

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
See More

Popular

See More

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
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
funny guinea pig in glasses reading a book
Challenging Words You Should Know Vol 2 Words to the wise
See All