unfastening 1 of 2

noun

as in untying

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unfastening

2 of 2

verb

present participle of unfasten
as in loosening
to disengage the knotted parts of gently unfastened the strings of the baby's hood

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 unfastening
Verb
Transforming the cabin from sitting to sleeping is a group effort that includes unpacking the ladder (usually stowed beneath the seats with the luggage), unfastening the upper bunks, and making the beds. — Emily Manthei, Travel + Leisure, 10 May 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for unfastening
  1. unbinding
  2. untying
  3. detaching
  4. loosening
  5. parting
  6. undoing
Noun
  • This might make sense for a Buddhist monk pursuing the great unbinding, but not for a random Brooklynite who just wants to be more productive at work.
    — Olga Khazan, The Atlantic, 4 Sep. 2026
Definition of unbinding
Verb
  • The Nationals took the lead for good in the seventh inning when rookie John Klein allowed a solo home run to Keibert Ruiz, untying a game that pinch hitter Josh Bell had knotted up a half-inning earlier.
    — Betsy Helfand, Twin Cities, 7 May 2026
Definition of untying
Noun
  • The largest recall affects more than 223,000 F-150 pickups due to a risk of the fuel tank detaching.
    — Jamie L. LaReau, Freep.com, 14 Sep. 2026
  • There have been at least 38 reports of and reviews mentioning the bristle detaching from the brushes, Weber said, and four reports of people who swallowed the metal bristles and sough medical treatment to remove them from their throat or digestive tract.
    — CBS Chicago Team, CBS News, 27 Feb. 2026
Definition of detaching
Verb
  • Furthermore, loosening these restrictions risks igniting new supply friction.
    — , CNBC, 7 Oct. 2026
  • Regressive health In recent years, state laws have been loosening on raw milk, despite a federal ban on interstate commerce.
    — Beth Mole, ArsTechnica, 7 Oct. 2026
Definition of loosening
Noun
  • The Connecticut Sun gave their highly loyal fanbase a parting gift on Thursday night with a 95-81 win over the Toronto Tempo in the franchise’s final game as the state’s WNBA team.
    — Jessica Hill, Hartford Courant, 25 Sep. 2026
  • Coe will step down as World Athletics president next year, so this is a parting gift to his successor.
    — Liam Tharme, New York Times, 14 Sep. 2026
Definition of parting
Verb
  • Only coherent enterprises can confidently move fast, while the incoherent spend years undoing debt that’s compounded.
    — Madhu Shashanka, Forbes.com, 28 Sep. 2026
  • For Canada, that means undoing some of the reliance developed over nearly 40 years.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 21 Sep. 2026
Definition of undoing

Browse Nearby Words

unfastened
unfastening
unfastens
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Cite this Entry

“Unfastening.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/unfastening. Accessed 11 Oct. 2026.

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