as in freed
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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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in unleashed
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of unfettered
Gary Singer, Sun Sentinel, 21 Aug. 2025
The cat community appears divided on the topic of allowing felines unfettered outdoor access.
—Jack Beresford, MSNBC Newsweek, 18 Aug. 2025
In recent years, aided by his son, Sam (CEO of Dropout), the 79-year-old has developed an impressive social media following, warning of the perils of an unfettered oligarchy and rampant inequality.
—Stuart Miller, Oc Register, 18 Aug. 2025
For now, there are so many unanswered questions to ponder, questions that few have ventured to honestly and thoroughly answer because there is both too much unknown and for the most part the industry is totally unfettered.
—Anand Rao, Fortune, 16 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for unfettered
Verb
Enforcement must follow the specific wording of ordinances, and courts emphasize that municipalities cannot exercise unfettered power.
—Gary Singer, Sun Sentinel, 21 Aug. 2025
The cat community appears divided on the topic of allowing felines unfettered outdoor access.
—Jack Beresford, MSNBC Newsweek, 18 Aug. 2025
In recent years, aided by his son, Sam (CEO of Dropout), the 79-year-old has developed an impressive social media following, warning of the perils of an unfettered oligarchy and rampant inequality.
—Stuart Miller, Oc Register, 18 Aug. 2025
For now, there are so many unanswered questions to ponder, questions that few have ventured to honestly and thoroughly answer because there is both too much unknown and for the most part the industry is totally unfettered.
—Anand Rao, Fortune, 16 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for unfettered
Recent Examples of Synonyms for unfettered
Verb
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Only a small fraction of the nearly 150 hostages released from Gaza in the past two years have been directly freed by Israeli military operations, with the rest freed through Qatari and Egyptian mediation.—
Aya Batrawy,
NPR,
10 Sep. 2025
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Playing someone who is so electric has freed me to take up space in new ways as an actor.—
Akili King,
Essence,
10 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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Payton noted the Colts haven’t fully unleashed Warren, although Steichen showed a glimpse of what could be in store.—
James Boyd,
New York Times,
11 Sep. 2025
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Several neighbors told the Herald that unleashed dogs have been a constant issue for years.—
Amanda Rosa,
Miami Herald,
10 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Others – like Boris – are liberated by it.—
David Lyman,
Cincinnati Enquirer,
4 Sep. 2025
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Secondly, and perhaps more importantly, Ozon diverges from the text in a few key places to offer a postcolonial reading of a novel that was published two decades before Algeria liberated itself from French rule.—
Jordan Mintzer,
HollywoodReporter,
2 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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There are also plot holes that could sink a truck, like Miller going on a rampage as an escaped prisoner with — apparently — not a single cop on his tail.—
Stephanie Bunbury,
Deadline,
30 Aug. 2025
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Because no natural organism has evolved to compete with or prey upon mirror life, the escaped bacterium multiplies exponentially without any biological constraints.—
LIYAM CHITAYAT,
Foreign Affairs,
28 Aug. 2025
Verb
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D4vd, who first went viral on TikTok, released his debut album in April.—
Alex Stone,
ABC News,
10 Sep. 2025
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Jenkins, a former Brevard County school board member and speech pathologist, released a launch video casting herself as a fighter for working families, drawing on her own experience working multiple jobs to make ends meet.—
Samantha-Jo Roth,
The Washington Examiner,
10 Sep. 2025
Verb
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She was rescued by Kannan Animal Welfare alongside her brother Floofy.—
Jack Beresford,
MSNBC Newsweek,
12 Sep. 2025
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Crews battled the flames and rescued one person who was inside.—
Milena Malaver,
Miami Herald,
12 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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On court, Annie and Helen spray their shots with unrestrained ferocity, aiming not for the baselines but for each other’s torsos.—
Joe Reid,
Vulture,
29 Aug. 2025
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How the inextricable combinations of lyrical narratives and distortion-addled arrangements served as salient commentaries on authoritarian power and artificial intelligence, as well as science denialism, knee-bending capitulation and unrestrained wealth.—
Bob Gendron,
Chicago Tribune,
20 Aug. 2025
Adjective
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Another unconfined delegation that should be subject to judicial scrutiny is provided by the Civil Rights Restoration Act, passed by the Democrats over President Ronald Reagan’s veto, which established the government’s power to arbitrarily withhold funding from universities.—
George Liebmann,
Baltimore Sun,
1 June 2025
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This accounted for just 3 percent of heating fires overall, but these led to more than 40 percent of fatalities, in part because portable heaters tend to be placed precisely where people live and sleep, and because the resulting fires are far more likely to be unconfined.—
Matthew Korfhage,
WIRED,
24 Mar. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Unfettered.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/unfettered. Accessed 14 Sep. 2025.
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