dearrest

D2E1A1R1R1E1S1T1

verb

To release (a person) from arrest.

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Scrabble 9

Meanings

verbdearrest (third-person singular simple present dearrests, present participle dearresting, simple past and past participle dearrested)

present singular third person dearrests · participle present dearresting · participle past dearrested · past dearrested · alternative de-arrest

  1. transitiveTo release (a person) from arrest.

    There is a question mark over how disruptive that was, in the great scheme of things, but it was enough for the police to arrest and handcuff him, later to de-arrest him on the understanding that he would be questioned in the future.

    2022 September 12, Zoe Williams, “Why are people getting arrested in Britain for being republicans?”, in The Guardian
    2 more examples

    Around midday, a 28-year-old local man was briefly arrested after he came close to the prime minister's group who had just left the Civic Hall in Leeds. No threats were made, and after the man's details were checked, he was de-arrested and allowed on his way.

    2014 October 27, BBC, “Jogger in PM security alert had 'no idea' what happened”, in BBC News

    During the main pro-Palestinian protest march, a further man was arrested for assault during an altercation between protesters and counter protesters in order to prevent a breach of the peace. After officers fully reviewed footage provided of the incident he was later de-arrested.

    2024 March 9, Metropolitan Police, “Update on Met public order policing on 9 March”, in Policing operation, archived from the original on 11 Mar 2024

    Synonyms: disarrest

Synonyms & antonyms

verbTo release (a person) from arrest.

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Also see

Origin

  1. Proto-Indo-European*de
  2. Proto-Indo-European*déh₁
  3. Proto-Italic*dē
  4. Latindē
  5. Latindē-
  6. Englishde-
  7. Englisharrest
  8. Englishdearrest

From de- + arrest.

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Finnish vapauttaa, päästää vapaalle jalalle
  • vapauttaato release from arrest
  • päästää vapaalle jalalleto release from arrest

Rhymes & wordplay

Anagrams

Cite this entry
APA

dearrest. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/dearrest

MLA

“dearrest.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/dearrest. Accessed November 3, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “dearrest,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/dearrest.

Source: dearrest on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.