unearth
Americanverb (used with object)
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to dig or get out of the earth; dig up.
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to uncover or bring to light by search, inquiry, etc..
The lawyer unearthed new evidence.
verb
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to dig up out of the earth
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to reveal or discover, esp by exhaustive searching
Other Word Forms
Conjugated Forms
Present
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have unearthedperfect
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has unearthedperfect 3rd person singular
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are unearthingprogressive
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have been unearthingperfect progressive
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unearthingparticiple
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has been unearthingperfect progressive 3rd person singular
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is unearthingprogressive 3rd person singular
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am unearthingprogressive 1st person singular
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unearthssingular 3rd person
Past
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had unearthedperfect
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had been unearthingperfect progressive
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was unearthingprogressive singular
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were unearthingprogressive plural
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unearthedparticiple
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unearthedsimple
Future
Etymology
Origin of unearth
First recorded in 1400–50, unearth is from the late Middle English word unerthen. See un- 2, earth
Explanation
To unearth something is to dig it up. You could unearth a coffin, or even a tee shirt buried in the bottom of a drawer. To put something in the earth is to bury it, to unearth it is to take it back out. When digging in the yard you’ll probably unearth creepy-crawlies and, with luck, a lost treasure will surface. To bring anything hidden “into the light” is to unearth it. You can unearth the secret affairs of your lover, you can unearth the lies of a corrupt government, and you may even unearth a child’s secret candy stash from under the mattress.
Vocabulary lists containing unearth
Holes
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"The End and the Beginning," Vocabulary from the poem
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The Autobiography of Malcolm X
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Prince’s shocking death in 2016 gave writers a reason to unearth the shady details of his antagonism toward Michael Jackson.
From Salon • May 16, 2026
Miners were using picks, shovels and bare hands to unearth rocks rich with metal.
From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 31, 2026
Meanwhile, Brewdog threatened legal proceedings against one of the BBC's US-based contributors and sent private detectives to try to unearth dirt on at least one of our UK-based interviewees.
From BBC • Mar. 6, 2026
Actors are always trying to research and unearth and unpack to get to that state, but we could walk on set and already have that.”
From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 4, 2026
I knew I was somewhere in the southern Commonwealth, but the precise location was buried, tangled up with other memories that I was not eager to unearth.
From "The Name of the Wind" by Patrick Rothfuss
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
