1
as in discharging
to empty or rid of cargo
the dockworkers unloaded the ship
Synonyms & Similar Words
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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
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Recent Examples of unloading
On Tuesday, the coyote bit a young child twice in front of their home as family members were unloading their car.
—
Chelsea Hylton, CBS News, 3 Apr. 2026
According to the Carson station, the child was bitten twice while family members were unloading a vehicle.
—Paris Barraza, USA Today, 2 Apr. 2026
Satellite imagery showed cargo ships unloading vehicles directly onto a beach via ramps, with at least 330 vehicles visible on and near the shore.
—Micah McCartney, MSNBC Newsweek, 1 Apr. 2026
The aircraft includes both front and rear access doors, allowing faster turnaround during loading and unloading operations.
—Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 31 Mar. 2026
This picture taken on March 26, 2026 shows an oil tanker unloading crude oil at a port in Yantai, in China’s eastern Shandong province.
—Dylan Butts, CNBC, 30 Mar. 2026
The shooter and his pals passed the gun to each other in a bedroom, loading and unloading the ammo, prosecutors say.
—Kerry Burke, New York Daily News, 25 Mar. 2026
First responders immediately began providing aid to the injured man, who had accidentally shot himself in the hand while unloading his firearm at the conclusion of a shooting session, officials said.
—Lillie Davidson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 22 Mar. 2026
Light rain fell as ambulances lined up outside the cemetery and began unloading dozens of plain wooden caskets.
—Arkansas Online, 19 Mar. 2026
Chelsea Hylton, CBS News, 3 Apr. 2026
According to the Carson station, the child was bitten twice while family members were unloading a vehicle.
—Paris Barraza, USA Today, 2 Apr. 2026
Satellite imagery showed cargo ships unloading vehicles directly onto a beach via ramps, with at least 330 vehicles visible on and near the shore.
—Micah McCartney, MSNBC Newsweek, 1 Apr. 2026
The aircraft includes both front and rear access doors, allowing faster turnaround during loading and unloading operations.
—Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 31 Mar. 2026
This picture taken on March 26, 2026 shows an oil tanker unloading crude oil at a port in Yantai, in China’s eastern Shandong province.
—Dylan Butts, CNBC, 30 Mar. 2026
The shooter and his pals passed the gun to each other in a bedroom, loading and unloading the ammo, prosecutors say.
—Kerry Burke, New York Daily News, 25 Mar. 2026
First responders immediately began providing aid to the injured man, who had accidentally shot himself in the hand while unloading his firearm at the conclusion of a shooting session, officials said.
—Lillie Davidson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 22 Mar. 2026
Light rain fell as ambulances lined up outside the cemetery and began unloading dozens of plain wooden caskets.
—Arkansas Online, 19 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for unloading
Verb
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David Carrasquillo, 24, of Roxbury, is charged with three counts of assault and battery attempt with a firearm and discharging a firearm within 500 feet of a building.—
Flint McColgan,
Boston Herald,
3 Apr. 2026
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The system uses a multi-vote command architecture that requires several internal checks before firing, including a safeguard that prevents the laser from discharging if a civilian aircraft overlaps with the beam path.—
Munis Raza,
Interesting Engineering,
25 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Prosecutors argue that Duckett was a monster in disguise who abused the badge and brutally raped and killed Teresa before dumping her body in a lake.—
Amanda Lee Myers,
USA Today,
31 Mar. 2026
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And companies have been dumping money into the market to try to win customers and show them how AI is useful in everyday life - in particular, for buying stuff.—
John Ruwitch,
NPR,
30 Mar. 2026
Verb
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That means finding new ways to bring the game off the field and into packs of trading cards that are increasingly being opened in unpacking videos on social media.—
Kyle Feldscher,
CNN Money,
2 Apr. 2026
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As the Fashion News Editor at British Vogue, Daniel Rodgers covers a broad range of topics, unpacking the effects of culture on clothing.—
Daniel Rodgers,
Vogue,
1 Apr. 2026
Verb
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But selling the store is tantamount to discarding his story.—
Theater Critic,
Los Angeles Times,
27 Mar. 2026
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The only key requirement is making sure the box is empty and clean before discarding.—
Dallas Morning News,
Dallas Morning News,
17 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Crews said nine people were inside the home at the time of the fire, with six evacuating themselves.—
Brandon Downs,
CBS News,
22 Mar. 2026
-
People evacuating should head toward San Luis.—
Katie Langford,
Denver Post,
20 Mar. 2026
Verb
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The rising style star shook up her glam in the ‘90s, ditching the colorful shade for more neutral tones.—
Bailey Bujnosek,
InStyle,
4 Apr. 2026
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As the Census suggests, many are still turning to the post-graduate degree (but a growing number are also ditching college altogether).—
Jake Angelo,
Fortune,
4 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Freshman Keaton Wagler had 20 points and eight rebounds to lead the Illini (28-9), who reached their first Final Four since losing the championship game to North Carolina in 2005.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
5 Apr. 2026
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Vásquez didn’t factor in the decision after a defensive miscue led to the bullpen briefly losing the lead, but the emerging starting pitcher danced in and out of trouble in keeping the Red Sox at bay on an evening in which the wind chill dropped the temperature into the high 20s.—
Jeff Sanders,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
5 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Anthropic has raised concerns over students off-loading cognitive work to AI systems, and OpenAI has acknowledged that dependence on AI tools more generally is a problem.—
Lila Shroff,
The Atlantic,
1 Dec. 2025
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The canister was still wedged in my crotch, off-loading its contents like a homemade Roman candle.—
Charlie Sheen,
HollywoodReporter,
3 Sep. 2019
Cite this Entry
“Unloading.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/unloading. Accessed 6 Apr. 2026.
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