1
as in discharging
to empty or rid of cargo
the dockworkers unloaded the ship
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in dumping
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 unloading
There's the Battle of the Gullet in the premiere, and then everything that comes next — from Rhaenyra unloading her grief before the corpse of her eldest son to her taking the Iron Throne at King's Landing to become Westeros' new queen.
—
Nick Romano,
Entertainment Weekly,
29 June 2026
Al Bello / Getty Images Public records show that New York City issued a permit for loading and unloading theatrical materials at MSG from June 29 to July 4.
—
CBS News,
27 June 2026
Public records show that the city issued a permit for loading and unloading theatrical materials at the arena from June 29 to July 4.
—
Kimberlee Kruesi,
Fortune,
27 June 2026
Even more impressive was landing Chinakhov and Söderblom for a handful of non-first round draft picks, to say nothing of unloading Tristan Jarry’s salary.
—
Josh Yohe,
New York Times,
27 June 2026
Indiana Fever Head Coach Stephanie White led the charge, completely unloading on Thomas and the league's officials during her postgame press conference.
—
Jackson Thompson,
FOXNews.com,
26 June 2026
The incoming team's portion of the cost was $32 million, including chartering the ship and loading and unloading the gear.
—
Arkansas Online,
6 June 2026
Down in the pit, on a raw October night in 1966, one of the giant haulers was unloading its tonnage when the pistons of its dump bed seized up.
—
Jonathan Franzen,
New Yorker,
1 June 2026
Durable enough to handle the elements, this waterproof light features a comfortable elastic strap and a bright, adjustable beam that improves visibility while keeping both hands free for unloading luggage, handling car repairs, or setting up camp in the dark.
—
Sophie Dodd,
Travel + Leisure,
31 May 2026
Nick Romano,
Entertainment Weekly,
29 June 2026
Al Bello / Getty Images Public records show that New York City issued a permit for loading and unloading theatrical materials at MSG from June 29 to July 4.
—
CBS News,
27 June 2026
Public records show that the city issued a permit for loading and unloading theatrical materials at the arena from June 29 to July 4.
—
Kimberlee Kruesi,
Fortune,
27 June 2026
Even more impressive was landing Chinakhov and Söderblom for a handful of non-first round draft picks, to say nothing of unloading Tristan Jarry’s salary.
—
Josh Yohe,
New York Times,
27 June 2026
Indiana Fever Head Coach Stephanie White led the charge, completely unloading on Thomas and the league's officials during her postgame press conference.
—
Jackson Thompson,
FOXNews.com,
26 June 2026
The incoming team's portion of the cost was $32 million, including chartering the ship and loading and unloading the gear.
—
Arkansas Online,
6 June 2026
Down in the pit, on a raw October night in 1966, one of the giant haulers was unloading its tonnage when the pistons of its dump bed seized up.
—
Jonathan Franzen,
New Yorker,
1 June 2026
Durable enough to handle the elements, this waterproof light features a comfortable elastic strap and a bright, adjustable beam that improves visibility while keeping both hands free for unloading luggage, handling car repairs, or setting up camp in the dark.
—
Sophie Dodd,
Travel + Leisure,
31 May 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for unloading
Verb
-
Supercapacitors are known for fast charging and discharging, as well as long operating lifetimes.
-
Congress has had difficulty discharging its lawmaking duties.
Verb
-
Achiuwa had a good run at the end of the season as the Kings were dumping games left and right.
-
The leaks are dumping gallons upon gallons of wastewater into the Merrimack River.
Verb
-
Tijssen then led guests on a walkthrough of the installations, unpacking how artificial intelligence, sound design and generative visuals work together to keep the show’s audiovisual landscape in constant flux.
-
There are also many active travelers who relish packing and unpacking just once.
Verb
-
But the lawyer for suspect Iqbal Bacchus, 46, suggested Bacchus was selling wiring that the hospital was discarding.
-
The council also ordered up a measure doubling the amount of money allocated for the Department of Recreation and Parks, discarding an alternative plan that would have increased it by 50%.
Verb
-
Ground robots are hauling ammunition, evacuating wounded troops, laying mines, and increasingly carrying weapons into combat as Ukraine tries to replace as many frontline tasks as possible with machines.
-
More ships entered the Gulf over the weekend than departed, reversing a trend seen over the previous week, when efforts focused on evacuating seafarers stranded in the Gulf.
Verb
-
None of this argues for ditching traditional government affairs work in Washington.
-
For golf cart operators, that evolution absolutely begins by ditching archaic lead-acid relics engineered for a bygone era.
Verb
-
Off-loading tasks such as writing code might result in cognitive atrophy over the long term, and that is problematic in itself, but off-loading ethical decisions will result in an atrophy of moral reasoning, which is worse.
-
The canister was still wedged in my crotch, off-loading its contents like a homemade Roman candle.
Verb
-
Shortstop Francisco Lindor backed up and called off the converging outfielders before losing his footing and falling right in front of Tyrone Taylor, who tripped over Lindor while failing to make the catch.
-
Amid the inextricable trauma of losing her 18-year-old child, the mother had feared that traditional funeral customs might be handled differently because of the manner in which her daughter died.
Cite this Entry
“Unloading.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/unloading. Accessed 6 Jul. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
