UNLOAD Synonyms: 81 Similar and Opposite Words

unload

verb

ˌən-ˈlōd

Definition of unload

as in to unpack

to empty or rid of cargo the dockworkers unloaded the ship

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in to dump

to get rid of as useless or unwanted I can't seem to unload this old car—even the charities won't take it!

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 unload Industry insiders first reported that LVMH was looking to unload its stake in Fenty Beauty in October 2025, when the multinational conglomerate sought out investment bank Evercore to help facilitate a sale. — Preezy Brown, VIBE.com, 6 Oct. 2026 Koons, one of the world’s most famous living artists, is said to be unloading the works in order to fund his own practice. — News Desk, Artforum, 5 Oct. 2026 Cheeks burning, Shawn began to unload the fishing gear from the boot. — Rachel Heng, New Yorker, 4 Oct. 2026 My father-in-law proceeded to unload it on our driveway without so much as asking! — Carolyn Hax, Washington Post, 3 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for unload

Recent Examples of Synonyms for unload

Verb

The series unpacks the subterfuge and secrecy required to record the interviews and how Diana and Colthurst were on high alert while making the recordings, Barefield explained.

— Stewart Clarke, Deadline, 7 Oct. 2026
Jon Stewart set his sights on AI on the latest episode of The Daily Show, unpacking the threats posed by the technology and Donald Trump‘s mediocre reaction.

— Emily Zemler, Rolling Stone, 6 Oct. 2026

Definition of unpack

Verb

Michael Conforto dumped a full beer down the back of an unsuspecting Carson Kelly while across the room Shota Imanaga threw his head back, opened his arms and let out a yell as assistant hitting coach Juan Cabreja uncorked the champagne.

— Chicago Tribune, Chicago Tribune, 1 Oct. 2026
Unlike institutional investors, who rely on algorithms to dump underperforming shares at the first sign of trouble, Coyle says retail buyers are more likely to stick around in good times and bad.

— Jeff John Roberts, Fortune, 30 Sep. 2026

Definition of dump

Verb

Last week, a regional television station interrupted a live broadcast for about 20 minutes after journalists evacuated to a shelter during an air raid warning.

— Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 3 Oct. 2026
On Thursday, humanitarian organization Doctors Without Borders said a staff member had tested positive for Ebola and was being evacuated to the Netherlands.

— ABC News, ABC News, 3 Oct. 2026

Definition of evacuate

Verb

Technologies, markets, laws and cultural assumptions all determine what is discarded, what is kept and why.

— Edward D. Melillo, The Conversation, 30 Sep. 2026
The Radical Approach Generally, a semiconductor wafer (up to 12 inches in diameter) is diced up into chips or dies, and any defective parts of the wafer can be discarded.

— Nandan Nayampally, Forbes.com, 28 Sep. 2026

Definition of discard

Verb

Imagine your mom has just been discharged from the hospital to a rehabilitation center after hip replacement surgery.

— Jennifer Schlinger, The Conversation, 6 Oct. 2026
The hospital has been placed under quarantine, Mayor Maxim Modin said Friday, no longer admitting or discharging patients, and its laboratory halted carrying out routine tests.

— ABC News, ABC News, 5 Oct. 2026

Definition of discharge

Verb

Researchers have developed a paper-thin foot membrane that lets crawling microrobots harvest electricity directly from the ground beneath them, ditching heavy onboard batteries by turning metal and silicon surfaces into an active power source.

— New Atlas, New Atlas, 8 Oct. 2026
Now that their youngest kids, twins Knox and Vivienne, are 18, Jolie is ready to ditch the US.

— Allison DeGrushe, StyleCaster, 8 Oct. 2026

Definition of ditch

Verb

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
These outsiders, like executives or academics from different fields, offer crucial external perspectives, unburdened by internal assumptions or politics.

— Benjamin Laker, Forbes.com, 23 Aug. 2026

Definition of unburden

Verb

What’s made this franchise so beloved has been its willingness to go on that journey with its young characters, maturing and deepening and changing without losing that initial childlike sense of hope and joy.

— Angie Han, HollywoodReporter, 9 Oct. 2026
This means, according to the team, that only about 2% of the electrical charge was lost to competing reactions.

— Kaif Shaikh, Interesting Engineering, 9 Oct. 2026

Definition of lose

Browse Nearby Words

unlivable

unload

unloaded

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“Unload.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/unload. Accessed 9 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of unload

verb

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