unbar

American

[uhn-bahr] / ʌnˈbɑr /

verb (used with object)

unbarred, unbarring

to remove a bar or bars from; open; unlock; unbolt.

to unbar a door.

unbar British

/ ʌnˈbɑː /

verb

to take away a bar or bars from
to unfasten bars, locks, etc, from (a door); open

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of unbar

First recorded in 1300–50, unbar is from the Middle English word unbarren. See un- ², bar ¹

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.

Claudius has made himself a monarch again, standing at the head of a shrieking horde of desperate peasantry who believe he can unbar the door to that heavenly place.

From The Wall Street Journal

As a result, its classification was changed from unbarred spiral galaxy to barred spiral galaxy.

From Salon

The fetters would not keep fastened; the doors unbarred themselves.

From Literature

The process that began in recent days with back-in-business nail salons and unbarred sandy beaches in a scattering of states is poised to accelerate over the coming week across wide swaths of the country.

From Washington Post

Army North on Monday morning before hundreds of dignitaries, she took stock of a life unbarred by barriers.

From Washington Times

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023