as in to free
to set free from entanglement or difficulty still struggling to disembarrass herself of the emotional baggage of a failed relationship

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Synonym Chooser

How does the verb disembarrass differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of disembarrass are disencumber, disentangle, extricate, and untangle. While all these words mean "to free from what binds or holds back," disembarrass suggests a release from something that impedes or hinders.

disembarrassed herself of her advisers

When might disencumber be a better fit than disembarrass?

In some situations, the words disencumber and disembarrass are roughly equivalent. However, disencumber implies a release from something that clogs or weighs down.

an article disencumbered of jargon

How do disentangle and untangle relate to one another, in the sense of disembarrass?

Both disentangle and untangle suggest painstaking separation of a thing from other things.

disentangling fact from fiction
untangle a web of deceit

When is it sensible to use extricate instead of disembarrass?

The words extricate and disembarrass are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, extricate implies the use of care or ingenuity in freeing from a difficult position or situation.

extricated himself from financial difficulties

Examples Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for disembarrass
Verb
  • In the initial wave, hundreds of Palestinian women and children currently held in Israeli prisons will be freed.
    Asher Kaufman, The Conversation, 16 Jan. 2025
  • If half of your life is intolerable, simply free yourself from it.
    Nina Metz, Chicago Tribune, 16 Jan. 2025
Verb
  • The program allows for state income tax exemption for five years, offering investors in big projects to save up to hundreds of thousands of dollars a year per project in property tax savings.
    Alexandra Berzon, New York Times, 16 Jan. 2025
  • Follow Chinese tradition and save some leftovers for the following day as a symbol of bringing surplus into the new year.
    Megan Zhang, Saveur, 16 Jan. 2025
Verb
  • More than 100 or so students and volunteers searched the ground for the footprints, then liberated them with brushes.
    Shi En Kim, Smithsonian Magazine, 7 Jan. 2025
  • With the help of Trinity (Carrie-Anne Moss), Morpheus (Lawrence Fishburne) and a band of survivors who have managed to escape the program, Neo must liberate humanity from an army of robots who are using them as organic batteries.
    Kevin Lynn, Newsweek, 7 Jan. 2025
Verb
  • Below, 15 members of Forbes Agency Council share expert insights into how a brand facing viral complaints can take an appropriate level of accountability, redeem its good name and regain consumer trust.
    Expert Panel®, Forbes, 15 Jan. 2025
  • As a reminder, PS Plus' monthly free games for January can still be redeemed.
    Michael Gfoeller And David H. Rundell, Newsweek, 15 Jan. 2025
Verb
  • The president-elect, however, has not signaled an interest in extricating the justice system from political fights.
    Henry Gass, The Christian Science Monitor, 3 Dec. 2024
  • The driver of the Toyota Tacoma, whose vehicle rolled and landed in eastbound traffic lanes, was also extricated and taken to a hospital in critical condition.
    Skylar Heisey, The Arizona Republic, 16 Dec. 2024
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.

Thesaurus Entries Near disembarrass

Cite this Entry

“Disembarrass.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/disembarrass. Accessed 22 Jan. 2025.

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