unbox
Americanverb (used with object)
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to remove from a box.
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to remove (a new product or desirable purchase) from its box or packaging, especially for others to see.
I just uploaded a video of me unboxing my new tablet.
Etymology
Origin of unbox
Explanation
To unbox something is to open it and remove it from its packaging. You'd better wait to unbox those birthday gifts until your actual birthday! Use the verb unbox to mean "unpack" or "take out," especially when you're talking about a brand new item or one that's been mailed in an actual box. When you finally buy a new television, it will be exciting to unbox it. There is an entire category of internet videos in which people unbox electronics, toys, and other products, carefully documenting each stage of the process.
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.
“Especially in such a digital world,” he said, “it feels special to be able to unbox a piece of music—‘look at the sparkles!
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 14, 2025
"The idea is that you unbox it and you can start using it right away as a PlayStation controller," Alvin Daniel, Senior Technical Program Manager at Sony Interactive Entertainment, told the BBC.
From BBC ● Dec. 6, 2023
Streamers will still be able to talk about and unbox sponsored products.
From Washington Times ● Jun. 7, 2023
She bought clothes, purses, gaming consoles — things she didn’t even unbox.
From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 8, 2023
Ask Bliss how it would be to ship our furniture to Hartford, rent an upper room in a building and unbox it and store it there where somebody can frequently look after it.
From Mark Twain's Letters — Volume 2 (1867-1875) by Albert Bigelow Paine
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.
