To release from restraint or inhibition.
To release from chemical bonds or solutions.
To acquire from an enemy during wartime, used especially of cities, regions, and other population centers.
To release from servitude or unjust rule.
To release from slavery: to manumit.
To acquire from another by theft or force: to steal, to rob.
To moderate or relax; to diminish or weaken the striking characteristics of; to soften.
To make a television program, piece of writing, etc. less offensive and so more suitable for a family audience.
To relax; to make quieter or less obtrusive; to make milder.