as in to free
to set free (as from slavery or confinement)
authorities eventually unfettered the menagerie of wild animals that had been kept illegally as pets
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Recent Examples of unfetter
As spring ends, maple trees begin to unfetter winged seeds that flutter and swirl from branches to land gently on the ground.
—
Nikk Ogasa, Scientific American, 22 Sep. 2021
His long run in office, however, delivered only partial victories on his two primary ambitions: to unfetter Japan’s military after decades of postwar pacifism and to jump-start and overhaul its economy through a program known as Abenomics.
—New York Times, 8 July 2022
The Safdies are pointedly effective in capturing the way in which a chaotic city’s overall rhythm goes on unfettered even as a character experiences a horrific disruption or glitch in one small part of it.
—Jon Caramanica, New York Times, 15 Dec. 2019
By manufacturing satellite components in space, Made In Space hopes to unfetter some of those launch constraints.
—Eric Berger, Ars Technica, 2 Aug. 2019
By manufacturing satellite components in space, the company hopes to unfetter some of those launch constraints.
—Eric Berger, Ars Technica, 29 July 2019
Unfettered by worries about his relationship, Caldwell thrived.
—Jason Blevins, The Denver Post, 18 May 2017
Nikk Ogasa, Scientific American, 22 Sep. 2021
His long run in office, however, delivered only partial victories on his two primary ambitions: to unfetter Japan’s military after decades of postwar pacifism and to jump-start and overhaul its economy through a program known as Abenomics.
—New York Times, 8 July 2022
The Safdies are pointedly effective in capturing the way in which a chaotic city’s overall rhythm goes on unfettered even as a character experiences a horrific disruption or glitch in one small part of it.
—Jon Caramanica, New York Times, 15 Dec. 2019
By manufacturing satellite components in space, Made In Space hopes to unfetter some of those launch constraints.
—Eric Berger, Ars Technica, 2 Aug. 2019
By manufacturing satellite components in space, the company hopes to unfetter some of those launch constraints.
—Eric Berger, Ars Technica, 29 July 2019
Unfettered by worries about his relationship, Caldwell thrived.
—Jason Blevins, The Denver Post, 18 May 2017
Recent Examples of Synonyms for unfetter
Verb
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Wirtz’s potency in the final third would attract attention and could free up Pep Guardiola’s talented front line.—
Mark Carey,
New York Times,
16 May 2025
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The men were freed after prosecutors agreed to vacate their convictions in 2014.—
Ryan Oehrli,
Charlotte Observer,
16 May 2025
Verb
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Season 2 offers a chilling, darkly hilarious and oddly liberating spin on a bad day at the office.—
Michael Ordoña,
Los Angeles Times,
20 May 2025
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Even drinking a large glass of water can remind you to turn off the work-thoughts and liberate yourself to focus on everything else.—
Tracy Brower,
Forbes.com,
18 May 2025
Verb
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The game was officially released on May 22, 1980 in Japanese arcades before launching in the United States in October 1980, according to the Pac-Man website.—
Melina Khan,
USA Today,
23 May 2025
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The Devil Wears Prada 2, a sequel to the 2006 film that starred Anne Hathaway, Meryl Streep, Emily Blunt, and Stanley Tucci, is now set to release May 1.—
Raechal Shewfelt,
EW.com,
23 May 2025
Verb
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The Browns may have an opportunity to rescue themselves from a similar abyss.—
Jeff Howe,
New York Times,
16 May 2025
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Sandra Oh and more, the new Smurfs will follow the residents of Smurf Village banding together to rescue Papa Smurf after he is captured by an evil wizard.—
Hannah Dailey,
Billboard,
16 May 2025
Verb
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Her avocados, for instance, are almost always halved, loosened from the skin, which remains to protect the fruit, then sliced, drizzled with lemon or lime juice and seasoned with salt, pepper and often chopped chives.—
Laurie Ochoa,
Los Angeles Times,
24 May 2025
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Missing or loosened stones create tripping hazards, and city workers must frequently be dispatched to carry out repairs.—
Lilit Marcus,
CNN Money,
24 May 2025
Verb
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Fox taught that the Inner Light emancipates a person from adherence to any creed, ecclesiastical authority or ritual forms.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
11 May 2025
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Juneteenth, which takes place on June 19, marks the day the last of the enslaved Americans learned they had been emancipated.—
Cheyanne M. Daniels,
The Hill,
28 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Unfetter.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/unfetter. Accessed 30 May. 2025.
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