unshackle

verb

un·​shack·​le ˌən-ˈsha-kəl How to pronounce unshackle (audio)
unshackled; unshackling; unshackles
Synonyms of unshacklenext

transitive verb

: to free from shackles

Examples of unshackle in a Sentence

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.
On Friday Mangione arrived at court unshackled in his tan prison garb. — Lorena O’Neil, Rolling Stone, 30 Jan. 2026 And Comcast has just unshackled itself from a media business that was weighing it down. — Rohan Goswami, semafor.com, 29 June 2026 Recently, many have remarked that our great city stands at a crossroads, ready to unshackle itself from the mistakes of the past but uncertain as to how. — Matt Martin, Chicago Tribune, 19 June 2026 In doing so, the killer helped unshackle dark forces—chief among them anti-Semitism—that now threaten to overtake the conservative movement. — Yair Rosenberg, The Atlantic, 4 Feb. 2026 See All Example Sentences for unshackle

Word History

First Known Use

1598, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of unshackle was in 1598

Rhymes for unshackle

See All Rhymes for unshackle

Browse Nearby Words

unsgd
unshackle
unshaded
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Unshackle.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/unshackle. Accessed 7 Jul. 2026.

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