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

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for disembarrass
Verb
  • Removing them will free up space and improve performance.
    Kurt Knutsson, CyberGuy Report, FOXNews.com, 29 Mar. 2025
  • The husband eventually managed to free himself of his bindings, and when McIsaac returned to the living room, the husband fought back and subdued him long enough to allow the rest of the family to escape and seek help, prosecutors said.
    Jason Green, Mercury News, 29 Mar. 2025
Verb
  • While Jun-no’s priority is saving the company, more than a few executives are focused on saving themselves.
    Joan MacDonald, Forbes.com, 29 Mar. 2025
  • The anime follows secret agents hunting for a vaccine to save humanity.
    Rebecca Luther, TVLine, 29 Mar. 2025
Verb
  • The good news is that Saudi Arabia and Yemen’s legitimate government have already done the heavy lifting, liberating around 80% of Yemeni territory.
    Benjamin Weinthal, Fox News, 18 Mar. 2025
  • Speaking on the regular call with reporters Thursday, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov expressed confidence that all parts of the Kursk region held by Ukraine will soon be liberated.
    Lauren Kent, CNN, 13 Mar. 2025
Verb
  • Best of all, travelers can also redeem Alaska Air Mileage Plan frequent flyer miles for the one-way deals on select flights as low as 4,500 miles.
    Michael Cappetta, Travel + Leisure, 18 Mar. 2025
  • UConn won last year’s meeting in Portland 80-73 as the 3-seed, but USC redeemed itself with a 72-70 upset of the Huskies in Hartford on Dec. 21 this season.
    Emily Adams, Hartford Courant, 17 Mar. 2025
Verb
  • This begs the question: What can countries in this region do to extricate themselves from this trap?
    Nana Ama Sarfo, Forbes, 17 Mar. 2025
  • Firefighters had to extricate the man, who was not wearing a seatbelt, authorities said.
    Clifford Ward, Chicago Tribune, 10 Mar. 2025
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.

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Cite this Entry

“Disembarrass.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/disembarrass. Accessed 2 Apr. 2025.

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