unloading

verb

present participle of unload
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

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 The world’s first self-unloading electric bulk carrier, powered by a massive 6,758-kilowatt-hour (kWh) battery system, has officially entered commercial service in the land Down Under. — Georgina Jedikovska, Interesting Engineering, 27 Aug. 2026 Welcomed by Herky the Hornet, the cheer team and the campus community, the students and their families checked in before unloading their belongings and setting up their new rooms. — Tarini Mehta, Sacbee.com, 27 Aug. 2026 On Sunday, The Wall Street Journal reported, and confirmed by Deadline, that the AG’s asks included keeping the studios separate as well as unloading some cable networks. — Ted Johnson, Deadline, 25 Aug. 2026 At 14, Ribar's great-grandpa was unloading train cars at the Minnesota fair, eventually climbing the ranks to become superintendent of the grounds. — Courtney Crowder, Des Moines Register, 21 Aug. 2026 The stevedores of the ship (who were responsible for loading and unloading ships at the port) were also on a break. — Frannie Comstock, Encyclopedia Britannica, 20 Aug. 2026 The girl and the driver got out and started unloading her things. — Literary Hub, 20 Aug. 2026 Parents groused that loading and unloading kids in the R1S could be a headache, especially with a child’s seat in the second row. — Andrew J. Hawkins, The Verge, 13 Aug. 2026 The timing shook out nicely, considering Berg would go on to be tapped to succeed Don Garber as MLS’ next commissioner and has subsequently been tasked with unloading his sizable ownership stake in LAFC. — Justin Birnbaum, Sportico.com, 7 Aug. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for unloading
  1. discharging
  2. dumping
  3. unpacking
  4. discarding
  5. evacuating
  6. ditching
  7. off-loading
  8. losing
Verb
  • The War Horse reported on VA-medical-center policies that recommended discharging most patients from therapy after just eight sessions (far too few, according to many providers), an approach that the VA has denied adopting.
    — Andrea N. Goldstein, The Atlantic, 28 Aug. 2026
  • The lawsuit states that the accused was arrested in May 2021 for injuring a man and damaging multiple vehicles after discharging a firearm more than 20 times at a Kissimmee gas station and then fleeing the scene.
    — Evonne Andris, Miami Herald, 27 Aug. 2026
Definition of discharging
Verb
  • Hawaii cleans up after Hurricane Lala Communities struggled to recover after Tropical Storm Lala sideswiped Hawaii as a Category 1 hurricane, sparing the islands a direct hit but dumping more than 3½ feet of rain that caused catastrophic flooding.
    — Robert Abitbol, USA Today, 22 Aug. 2026
  • Tasks included scooping and dumping sand or gravel, digging and grading trenches, clearing debris from roads, removing tree branches from water edges, and breaking up rocks.
    — New Atlas, New Atlas, 21 Aug. 2026
Definition of dumping
Verb
  • At the supply intake area, Yeh saw a new volunteer awkwardly unpacking a package of beans layered two cans deep, wrapped in plastic.
    — Jennah Pendleton, Sacbee.com, 25 Aug. 2026
  • There are signs Miller is still proverbially unpacking it all.
    — Selena Fragassi, SPIN, 24 Aug. 2026
Definition of unpacking
Verb
  • On Day 2, stir mixture and measure out 110 g (1/2 cup) of starter into a fresh container, discarding the rest (at this point, the discard is not ready to be used in recipes).
    — Better Homes & Gardens, Better Homes & Gardens, 23 Aug. 2026
  • The cruise line submitted a subsequent report detailing a range of corrective actions, from rewashing coffee urns to discarding the tray of bread where the fly was found.
    — Nathan Diller, USA Today, 21 Aug. 2026
Definition of discarding
Verb
  • Officials say people evacuating should be prepared to stay away from home for several days, as unpredictable winds have complicated the fight to contain the blaze.
    — Maria Godoy, NPR, 23 Aug. 2026
  • Others need accessible transportation, interpretation services or assistance evacuating pets and family members.
    — Monica Sanders, Forbes.com, 20 Aug. 2026
Definition of evacuating
Verb
  • New research has found that productivity really does dip over the peak summer months—and that’s because workers, from the front line to corporate management, are ditching their desks to enjoy the warm weather.
    — Orianna Rosa Royle, Fortune, 25 Aug. 2026
  • In 2018, Becerra, while serving as state attorney general, popped by Thomas’ golf tournament retirement party, ditching his security detail and fielding work calls from the links.
    — Ben Paviour August 17, Sacbee.com, 17 Aug. 2026
Definition of ditching
Verb
  • The transaction contained fundamental flaws, and AT&T eventually reversed course by off-loading WarnerMedia and combining it with Discovery.
    — Paul Hardart, Fortune, 4 Aug. 2026
  • Following quickly on the heels of spinning off Versant Media earlier this year, Comcast is now off-loading the entirety of NBCUniversal.
    — Howard Homonoff, Forbes.com, 7 July 2026
Definition of off-loading
Verb
  • A week after losing 49-35 to Batavia, Maine South came out strong in all three phases of the game.
    — Bobby Narang, Chicago Tribune, 29 Aug. 2026
  • The Chiefs continue their preseason losing streak, but as The Star’s Sam McDowell writes, the next one counts.
    — Dominick Williams, Kansas City Star, 29 Aug. 2026
Definition of losing

Browse Nearby Words

unloaded
unloading
unloads
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Cite this Entry

“Unloading.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/unloading. Accessed 1 Sep. 2026.

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