unmoor

American  

[uhn-moor] / ʌnˈmʊər /

verb (used with object)

1. to loose (a vessel) from moorings or anchorage.

2. to bring to the state of riding with a single anchor after being moored by two or more.

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verb (used without object)

1. (of a vessel) to become unmoored.

unmoor British  

/ -ˈmɔː, ʌnˈmʊə /

verb

1. to weigh the anchor or drop the mooring of (a vessel)

2. (tr) to reduce the mooring of (a vessel) to one anchor

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Etymology

Origin of unmoor

First recorded in 1490–1500, unmoor is from the Middle English word unmooren. See un- ², moor ²

Example Sentences

That attitude, however, tends to unmoor people from even basic morality.

From Salon • May 7, 2024

Some officials worry premature easing, if followed by another round of accelerating inflation and then a hike in rates, could hurt public confidence and unmoor inflation expectations.

From Seattle Times • Feb. 12, 2024

Avoiding what he calls “animation effects” as much as possible — hallucinatory visuals that can unmoor the viewer from the reality of the film — he conveys the experience of climbing: the vertigo, the lethality.

From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 1, 2021

We are learning new things about a novel virus by the day, so it’s disingenuous to pull these statements out of their larger contexts and unmoor them from their timestamps.

From Slate • Jul. 15, 2020

I might even be enjoying myself, if I could only unmoor myself from the place I want to be.

From "Every Day" by David Levithan