as in to liberate
to set free (as from slavery or confinement)
under the cover of darkness animal rights activists emancipated the inhabitants of the mink ranch
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
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 emancipate
Abolitionists, farmers, emancipated Blacks, mechanics, prohibitionists, and populists all used fusion voting during the 19th century to make sure that their voices were heard by their fellow citizens as well as the leaders of this vast, diverse nation.
—
Josh Hammer, MSNBC Newsweek, 8 July 2025
The South American liberation leader Simón Bolívar emancipated the slave laborers who worked on his family’s estate—unlike George Washington and Thomas Jefferson.
—Book Marks
july 3, Literary Hub, 3 July 2025
On June 19, 1865, nearly two years after President Abraham Lincoln emancipated enslaved Africans in America, 2,000 Union troops arrived in Galveston Bay, Texas, with news of freedom.
—Marley Malenfant, Austin American Statesman, 2 July 2025
Juneteenth marks the day in 1865 when Union soldiers informed enslaved people in Texas — the last state to enforce slavery — that they’d been emancipated.
—Brian Niemietz, New York Daily News, 19 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for emancipate
Josh Hammer, MSNBC Newsweek, 8 July 2025
The South American liberation leader Simón Bolívar emancipated the slave laborers who worked on his family’s estate—unlike George Washington and Thomas Jefferson.
—Book Marks
july 3, Literary Hub, 3 July 2025
On June 19, 1865, nearly two years after President Abraham Lincoln emancipated enslaved Africans in America, 2,000 Union troops arrived in Galveston Bay, Texas, with news of freedom.
—Marley Malenfant, Austin American Statesman, 2 July 2025
Juneteenth marks the day in 1865 when Union soldiers informed enslaved people in Texas — the last state to enforce slavery — that they’d been emancipated.
—Brian Niemietz, New York Daily News, 19 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for emancipate
Recent Examples of Synonyms for emancipate
Verb
-
Some argue the practice is riding on the coattails of Canada’s historical ties to countries such as the Netherlands, which was liberated by Canadian troops during World War II and where Canadians are particularly appreciated.—
Vivian Song,
CNN Money,
18 Sep. 2025
-
If a young Parisienne in the nineteen-twenties could feel liberated by the loose tailoring and comfortable fabrics of Coco Chanel’s new suits, Birkin’s generation wanted something even less restrictive.—
Anahid Nersessian,
New Yorker,
15 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
But in the years that followed, Syed's judicial game of table tennis continued until he was finally freed from prison in 2022.—
Erin Jensen,
USA Today,
19 Sep. 2025
-
The goal is to free up your team’s bandwidth for the strategic relationship work that only humans can do.—
Shawn Pierce,
Forbes.com,
19 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Authorities have not released information about victim conditions or the total number of people injured in the attack.—
Adeola Adeosun,
MSNBC Newsweek,
21 Sep. 2025
-
Morgan said the victim suffered stab wounds to his hands, chest, lung and abdomen, and was treated and released.—
Jason Green,
Mercury News,
20 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Juventus managed to come from behind to rescue a 4-4 draw against visiting Borussia Dortmund thanks to a late equalizer by Lloyd Kelly (90+6’).—
Manuel Veth,
Forbes.com,
16 Sep. 2025
-
Lions Tigers & Bears’ mission is to rescue and care for big cats and exotic animals, with a team of veterinarians, groundskeepers, administrative staff and approximately 300 volunteers.—
Carlos Rico,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
16 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Open primaries would enfranchise more than a million New York voters, who are disproportionately young and represent communities of color.—
John Avlon,
New York Daily News,
7 July 2025
-
About a year after the infirmary team returned to the United States, the 19th Amendment became law, enfranchising 27 million women, the largest expansion of voting rights in American history.—
Amy Sohn,
Smithsonian Magazine,
27 June 2025
Verb
-
Biglari’s core demands were to stop opening new stores entirely, eliminate the development team to save money, and focus exclusively on improving existing store operations rather than expansion.—
Lily Mae Lazarus,
Fortune,
18 Sep. 2025
-
One paper in August estimates that Covid vaccines saved more than 2 million lives, mostly among older adults, worldwide between 2020 and October 2024.—
Annika Kim Constantino,
CNBC,
18 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
After being stuck on a boss, eternally forced to run back and replay swaths of danger for just another slim shot at winning, overcoming most challenges feels less like triumph and more like someone’s mercifully loosened the belt around your neck.—
Christopher Cruz,
Rolling Stone,
19 Sep. 2025
-
Rinse the seeds in cold water to help loosen the strands.—
Johna Burdeos,
Health,
19 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Tubman’s father had been manumitted by his owner, but Brodess had inherited Tubman, hiring her and her siblings out to neighbors for seasonal work, whether trapping muskrats or clearing land.—
Casey Cep,
The New Yorker,
24 June 2024
-
Grant would manumit his one enslaved servant, William Jones, in 1859.—
Harold Holzer,
WSJ,
1 Jan. 2024
Cite this Entry
“Emancipate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/emancipate. Accessed 21 Sep. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share