unhitch

verb

un·​hitch ˌən-ˈhich How to pronounce unhitch (audio)
unhitched; unhitching; unhitches
Synonyms of unhitchnext

transitive verb

: to free from or as if from being hitched

Examples of unhitch in a Sentence

We unhitched the trailer from the car.
Recent Examples on the Web
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.
The other horse was unhitched from the sleigh and fastened to the collar of the horse in the water and was then able to pull it out. — Contributed Content, Twin Cities, 7 Feb. 2025 Just unhitch the Flow, grab your iPad, and steer it like a giant, slow RC car into the perfect spot. — Boone Ashworth, WIRED, 6 Jan. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1706, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of unhitch was in 1706

Rhymes for unhitch

See All Rhymes for unhitch

Browse Nearby Words

unhitch
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Unhitch.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/unhitch. Accessed 24 Mar. 2025.

Copy Citation

Share

Kids Definition

unhitch

verb
un·​hitch ˌən-ˈhich How to pronounce unhitch (audio)
: to free from or as if from being hitched

More from Merriam-Webster on unhitch

Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for unhitch

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!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

How to Use Em Dashes (—), En Dashes (–) , and Hyphens (-)

The Difference Between 'i.e.' and 'e.g.'

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

More Commonly Misspelled Words

Words You Always Have to Look Up
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

Top 10 Sophisticated Insults

Flower Etymologies For Your Spring Garden

More Words with Remarkable Origins

Terroir, Oenophile, & Magnum: Ten Words About Wine

8 Words for Lesser-Known Musical Instruments
See More

Popular Features

See More

How to Use Em Dashes (—), En Dashes (–) , and Hyphens (-)

Top 10 Sophisticated Insults

Flower Etymologies For Your Spring Garden
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 Word Game 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?
Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
dog-in-disguise
Rhyme Disguise Quiz Pair up words that look different but sound alike.
See All