unleash

/ˈʌnˌliʃ/

/ənˈliʃ/

Other forms: unleashed; unleashing; unleashes

When you remove your dog's leash so she can run wildly across the beach, you unleash her — you set her loose. And when you unleash a storm of insults against your brother, you allow them to flow freely from your lips.

There are two ways to use the verb unleash. Literally, it means "set loose," like when a police officer unleashes her trained dog to sniff luggage for illegal drugs, or a farmer unleashes her llama after moving it into a pen. Figuratively, you can unleash all kinds of emotions, forces, opinions, and actions. Unhappy citizens might unleash a series of high-profile protests, or a barrage of shouted demands, for example.

Definitions of unleash

1. verb

   turn loose or free from restraint
   synonyms: let loose, loose

   type of:

   let go, let go of, release, relinquish

   release, as from one's grip
2. verb

   release or vent
   “unleash one's anger”

   types:

   uncork

   release

   type of:

   let go, let go of, release, relinquish

   release, as from one's grip
3. verb

   release from a leash
   “unleash the dogs in the park”

   type of:

   let go, let go of, release, relinquish

   release, as from one's grip