unleash

American  

[uhn-leesh] / ʌnˈliʃ /

verb (used with object)

• unleashes,
  present (3rd person singular)
• unleashed,
  past participle,  past
• unleashing
  present participle

1. to release from or as if from a leash; set loose to pursue or run at will.

2. to abandon control of.

   to unleash his fury.

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unleash British  

/ ʌnˈliːʃ /

verb

1. to release from or as if from a leash

2. to free from restraint or control

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Other Word Forms

Inflected Forms

Participles

• unleashing
  present
• unleashed
  past

Conjugated Forms

Present

• unleash
  simple
• unleashes
  simple
• have unleashed
  perfect
• has unleashed
  perfect
• am unleashing
  progressive
• are unleashing
  progressive
• is unleashing
  progressive
• have been unleashing
  perfect progressive
• has been unleashing
  perfect progressive

Past

• unleashed
  simple
• had unleashed
  perfect
• was unleashing
  progressive
• were unleashing
  progressive
• had been unleashing
  perfect progressive

Future

• will unleash
  simple
• will have unleashed
  perfect
• will be unleashing
  progressive
• will have been unleashing
  perfect progressive

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Etymology

Origin of unleash

First recorded in 1665–75; un- ² + leash

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Explanation

When you remove your dog's leash so she can run wildly across the beach, you unleash her — you set her loose. And when you unleash a storm of insults against your brother, you allow them to flow freely from your lips. There are two ways to use the verb unleash. Literally, it means "set loose," like when a police officer unleashes her trained dog to sniff luggage for illegal drugs, or a farmer unleashes her llama after moving it into a pen. Figuratively, you can unleash all kinds of emotions, forces, opinions, and actions. Unhappy citizens might unleash a series of high-profile protests, or a barrage of shouted demands, for example.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

unleash unleashes unleashed unleashing

Astronomers have uncovered a surprising rule that appears to determine when black holes unleash powerful jets of material into space.

From Science Daily ● Oct. 16, 2026

Towards the end of last week, the Sun was observed to unleash CMEs directed towards the Earth.

From BBC ● Oct. 10, 2026

To unleash our energy, to rebuild our factories, to return our astronauts to the moon and launch a new age of exploration in space.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 8, 2026

According to GlobalSecurity, a private nonpartisan research organization on defense issues, it’s unlikely Meink was talking about any sorts of “kinetic” weapons—i.e., weapons that unleash bullets or bombs—since the resulting debris could also be self-destructive.

From Slate ● Sep. 17, 2026

Heisenberg’s belief that Germany would lose was another piece of evidence suggesting that Hitler was not about to unleash atomic bombs.

From "Bomb" by Steve Sheinkin

In the snap, Stokes unleashes a bouncer to a flinching Mohammed Siraj, the India tailender.

From BBC ● Aug. 26, 2026

At the heart of the protests across the country, that is the question being asked: Do we get to decide the future that AI unleashes?

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 15, 2026

He fielded a series of questions on Iran, Cuba and China with a relaxed style and dashes of humor -- and little of the invective that Trump often unleashes in his briefing room appearances.

From Barron's ● May 6, 2026

We watch on the monitors as Bruccoleri perfectly mimes the piano along to a track and unleashes out-of-tune vocals that are horribly dour.

From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 30, 2026

Nature, whether natural or not, unleashes its fury with a vengeance as we finally sail into the churning winds of the stalled storm front.

From "Challenger Deep" by Neal Shusterman

That unleashed the kind of “bomb” and “flop” headlines that haven’t haunted a Cruise release since “The Mummy” in 2017.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 10, 2026

The U.S. government initiated and oversaw the entire enterprise that unleashed the atom and made the bomb.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 8, 2026

They’ll also see that the greed unleashed during 19th century America resource-gathering isn’t gone.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 1, 2026

When Meta first launched its AI-powered smart glasses in 2023, in collaboration with the trendy sunglasses brand Ray-Ban, it unleashed a storm of controversy.

From BBC ● Sep. 24, 2026

The idea was to scare the beast, because that’s when it unleashed its diabolical flatulence.

From "The Inquisitor's Tale" by Adam Gidwitz

“We are unleashing our full potential as an energy superpower,” Prime Minister Mark Carney said at the Canada Investment Summit earlier this month.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 28, 2026

"We are unleashing our full potential as an energy superpower," the prime minister said.

From Barron's ● Sep. 15, 2026

Europe’s real challenge is to reform its welfare state, unleashing entrepreneurship and restoring fiscal sanity.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 10, 2026

The forward drove about 20 yards before unleashing a powerful shot that ended up in Gunn’s hands.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 20, 2026

“Besides,” Allys continues, “those issues have been worked out. And now, without their careful monitoring, who knows what labs would be unleashing on the world?”

From "The Adoration of Jenna Fox" by Mary E. Pearson

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