FREEING Synonyms: 134 Similar and Opposite Words

freeing 1 of 2

noun

as in emancipation

the act of setting free from slavery a human rights group that works tirelessly for the freeing of political prisoners all over the world

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freeing

2 of 2

verb

present participle of free

as in liberating

to set free (as from slavery or confinement) a global crusade to free Nelson Mandela from a South African prison had emerged

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as in opening

to make passage through (something) possible by removing obstructions we'll free the river by breaking up the ice jam

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as in clearing

to rid the surface of (as an area) from things in the way would you mind freeing up the work area so I can work?

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as in relieving

to set (a person or thing) free of something that encumbers a phone call would free your parents from worry

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as in saving

to set free from entanglement or difficulty this plan should free us from debt

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Example Sentences

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.

Recent Examples of freeing

Noun

Ten Southern state legislatures endorsed the idea by passing laws that allowed the freeing of an enslaved person only when deportation out of the state was arranged and paid for. — Karen Masterson, The Conversation, 5 Oct. 2026 Every single registration fee goes directly toward freeing, employing and empowering trafficked women. — Caroline Ritzie, Cincinnati Enquirer, 30 Aug. 2026 The freeing of psychic space has allowed Hargitay to pursue new avenues of creativity. — Matthew Carey, Deadline, 17 Aug. 2026 Juneteenth returns to Denver’s historic Five Points neighborhood on Saturday, June 20, to commemorate the freeing of black slaves in the United States. — Jonathan Shikes, Denver Post, 18 June 2026 Jews celebrate the freeing of Israelite slaves from Egypt and Moses guiding them to the Promised Land. — Jose R. Gonzalez, AZCentral.com, 28 Mar. 2026 By all means, this committee should aim to commemorate the freeing of slaves, Moore acknowledged, once the nationalists had taken over in earnest. — Literary Hub, 28 Oct. 2025 The ceasefire offer would see the freeing of some hostages held by Hamas, the freeing of Palestinians held in prison by Israel, continuation of talks over a longer-term truce and the withdrawal of Israeli soldiers from parts of Gaza. — Filip Timotija, The Hill, 21 Aug. 2025 Today’s contributor shares how finding Christian Science brought a freeing, healing peace that profoundly changed the course of her life. — Kaye Patterson, Christian Science Monitor, 9 June 2025

Verb

Lanterns works so well in part because it was conceived as a standalone complete story, albeit one with ramifications for future DCU projects, thereby freeing up the writers to create something truly unique, with no forced, awkward tie-ins. — Jennifer Ouellette, ArsTechnica, 19 Oct. 2026 Balenciaga was best known for revolutionizing a new silhouette for women, creating something more freeing that would allow women of the day to wear his designs sans-corset. — Amina Ayoud, Footwear News, 19 Oct. 2026 But many people who've made big midlife changes describe it as freeing. — Allison Aubrey, NPR, 15 Oct. 2026 Boulder Police are preparing to launch a new artificial intelligence program to handle non-emergency calls, freeing dispatchers to focus on emergencies. — Sarah Horbacewicz, CBS News, 12 Oct. 2026 In exchange for a lesser charge and freeing his mother, the perpetrator agrees to testify against the other two men, which ultimately leads to rape convictions for the two. — Caitlin Huston, HollywoodReporter, 10 Oct. 2026 This loop traps us, backfilling saved time with even more low-value complexity rather than freeing up space for deep thinking. — Stephanie Kramer, Fortune, 10 Oct. 2026 Their argument was that the Prime Minister had failed to make freeing the hostages his main priority. — David Remnick, New Yorker, 7 Oct. 2026 If passed, Proposition NN would exempt state education spending from the TABOR cap, freeing up potentially billions of dollars to be used for specific purposes. — Nick Coltrain, Denver Post, 3 Oct. 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for freeing

Noun

Marked by restless lines, these works depict a woman tentatively emerging from a cocoon in a ritual of transformation and emancipation.

— Tatiane de Assis, ARTnews.com, 21 Oct. 2026
Their courtroom victory in January 1856 led to one of the largest legal emancipations in US history, and certainly the largest anywhere west of Texas.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 15 Oct. 2026

Definition of emancipation

Verb

This action would have triggered a kilonova while also liberating a lot of material, stuff that would take its time falling onto the black hole and fueling longer jets.

— Robin George Andrews, Scientific American, 20 Oct. 2026
Instead, the coalition has identified its primary objective as dismantling the system of Velayat-e Faqih (Guardianship of the Islamic Jurist) and liberating the country from its oppression.

— Benjamin Weinthal, FOXNews.com, 20 Oct. 2026

Definition of liberating

Verb

New restaurants are opening in the Sacramento region this fall, from a downtown Vietnamese kitchen to a Southern California coffee chain heading to Folsom.

— Sacbee.com, Sacbee.com, 26 Oct. 2026
Since there doesn’t appear to be an on-device export function, transferring the track to my PC was as simple as opening Audacity and hitting record while playing a beat on the FM-1.

— ArsTechnica, ArsTechnica, 26 Oct. 2026

Definition of opening

Verb

As the trend grows, the focus is shifting from simply clearing the counters to making everything behind the cabinet doors work better too.

— Ryan Brennan, Charlotte Observer, 22 Oct. 2026
City crews have also been clearing more than 31,000 catch basins and drainage systems and inspecting and reinforcing vulnerable hillsides and burn areas, including Pacific Palisades, Bass said in a statement.

— Alex Wigglesworth, Los Angeles Times, 22 Oct. 2026

Definition of clearing

Verb

This can involve releasing residual propellant, relieving pressure, and discharging or disconnecting batteries to reduce the risk of accidental explosions.

— Atharva Gosavi, Interesting Engineering, 25 Oct. 2026
That incident displaced thousands until a crack formed in the overheating tank, relieving the pressure and ending the risk of explosion.

— Lana Zak, CBS News, 22 Oct. 2026

Definition of relieving

Verb

Mackeeper present themselves as scraggly anti-heroes, saving music one banger at a time.

— Samuel Hyland, Pitchfork, 28 Oct. 2026
Crafted from durable stainless steel, these containers are space-saving, leakproof, and, most impressively, completely microwave-safe.

— Editors of Bon Appétit, Bon Appetit Magazine, 27 Oct. 2026

Definition of saving

Noun

For the Kurdish liberation movement, reproduction is not a matter of individual rights like in Western feminism; rather the female body is a sovereign zone of political warfare.

— Encyclopedia Britannica, Encyclopedia Britannica, 27 Oct. 2026
Furani deemed the current state of affairs a natural consequence of Zionist nationalism, and invited Walzer to flee the sinking ship of Zionism and board the ark of Islam and Palestinian liberation.

— Jordi Graupera, New Yorker, 22 Oct. 2026

Definition of liberation

Verb

Colom’s campaign told the Washington Examiner that the Democratic nominee had no part in commissioning, funding, conducting, or releasing the Wedgewood survey and that the campaign only referenced it as a public poll.

— Hailey Bullis, The Washington Examiner, 22 Oct. 2026
Democrats used the tools available to force votes that GOP leadership tried to avoid — on releasing the Jeffrey Epstein files and halting the Iran war.

— ABC News, ABC News, 22 Oct. 2026

Definition of releasing

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freeheartedly

freeing

freeload

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Style

“Freeing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/freeing. Accessed 28 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of freeing

noun

verb

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