unburdening

verb

present participle of unburden
1
as in unloading
to empty or rid of cargo the crew was frantically unburdening the ship in an attempt to save it

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in relieving
to set (a person or thing) free of something that encumbers a generous friend unburdened her of that particular financial worry

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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 unburdening A lot of other researchers have published essays or long posts on social media, unburdening themselves of their concerns as well. — Tyler Foggatt, New Yorker, 17 Sep. 2026 The narrator observes that being able to share the big secret with someone brings unburdening relief. — David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 15 Feb. 2026 Prevc is left with only history after unburdening the weight of his promise. — Jacob Whitehead, New York Times, 14 Feb. 2026 But Nevils is doing more than just unburdening herself. — Hillary Kelly, The Atlantic, 13 Feb. 2026 Of Landfair unburdening herself of the anchor that came with saying her name aloud. — Cheyenne Roundtree, Rolling Stone, 31 Jan. 2026 Maybe that’s why companies like RadAI, which focus on unburdening the physician’s workflow rather than subbing in for their expertise, have been so successful. — Alexis Kayser, MSNBC Newsweek, 4 Dec. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for unburdening
  1. unloading
  2. relieving
  3. ridding
  4. freeing
Verb
  • Think of your home as a simulated work environment in which everyday chores — like unloading the dishwasher or gathering ingredients for a meal – are a chance to learn.
    — John Gill, The Orlando Sentinel, 22 Oct. 2026
  • In Peabody, officials are expanding a program that uses cameras mounted on school buses to identify drivers who fail to stop when buses are loading or unloading students.
    — Logan Hall, CBS News, 22 Oct. 2026
Definition of unloading
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
  • The city is continuing to replace lead pipes with copper ones in the older houses in the community with funds from the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency (IEPA), ridding the community of pipes that might harm people or contaminate water.
    — Steve Sadin, Chicago Tribune, 25 Aug. 2026
  • The fatal crash has led city leaders and animal rights activists to take a new look at ridding New York of carriage horses.
    — Thomas Tracy, New York Daily News, 15 Aug. 2026
Definition of ridding
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
Definition of freeing

Browse Nearby Words

unburdened
unburdening
unburdens
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Unburdening.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/unburdening. Accessed 31 Oct. 2026.

Copy Citation
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of wraith

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

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

Popular in Wordplay

See More

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Pwn, Skibidi, Girlboss and Other Words Added to the 2026 Scrabble Dictionary

The Words of the Week - Oct. 30

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't
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 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?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
different halloween monsters in silhouette
A Monstrous Vocab Quiz Words That Go Bump in the Night
See All