uncap

American

[uhn-kap] / ʌnˈkæp /

verb (used with object)

to remove a cap or cover from (a bottle, container, etc.).
to free from limits or restrictions.

The union is demanding that cost-of-living allowances be uncapped.
to remove a cap or hat from (the head of a person).

verb (used without object)

to remove the cap or hat from the head, as in respect.

uncap British

/ ʌnˈkæp /

verb

(tr) to remove a cap or top from (a container)

to uncap a bottle
to remove a cap from (the head)

"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

Other Word Forms

Inflected Forms

Participles

Conjugated Forms

Present

Past

Future

Etymology

Origin of uncap

First recorded in 1560–70; un- ² + cap 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.

See Examples For:

uncap uncaps uncapped uncapping

Yet, even as extreme heat dries up more aquifers and wells and leaves more people thirsty, luxury water has become fashionable among the world’s privileged, who uncap and taste it like fine wine.

From Seattle Times ● Nov. 20, 2023

Or maybe you have already caught “Corsicana,” in which she seems to unseal her character’s soul as casually as you or I uncap a beer.

From New York Times ● Jun. 17, 2022

CEO Mary Barra noted the Detroit automaker is making big investments in EV and it needs key provisions in the proposal "that are going to uncap EV credits."

From Reuters ● Jan. 26, 2022

A better solution might just be to uncap the PPP’s funding entirely so that any businesses that need a loan can get one.

From Slate ● Apr. 20, 2020

Then I uncap the marker and write one more thing.

From "A Soft Place to Land" by Janae Marks

Meanwhile, Max uncaps his pen to reveal the eponymous clown, whom he signals to enter the house.

From The Wall Street Journal ● May 27, 2026

The man uncaps the yellow marker and starts to carefully fill in one leaf, then another, staying inside the lines.

From Washington Post ● Dec. 14, 2022

She uncaps a pen with her teeth and starts writing.

From "The Miscalculations of Lightning Girl" by Stacy McAnulty

Ms. Jacobs uncaps a blue dry-erase marker, presses the tip to the whiteboard, and looks at the class over her shoulder.

From "A Good Kind of Trouble" by Lisa Moore Ramée

Nora uncaps the red marker and, in bold letters at the top of the page, writes: “Reasons Joy and Nora Should Be Allowed to Walk Ziggy.”

From "A Soft Place to Land" by Janae Marks

There is a first call up for James Penrice and uncapped Kristi Montgomery, a late addition last time, retains his place.

From BBC ● Nov. 3, 2026

Those more attractive film and tax incentives typically include above-the-line costs like actors’ salaries and are often uncapped — California’s current program does not have these features.

From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 2, 2026

The uncapped credit would cover labor expenses for production crews as well as so-called above-the-line costs, such as salaries for actors and writers.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 6, 2026

Sam Curran and Adil Rashid both return after injuries, and uncapped pair James Coles and Henry Crocombe are included.

From BBC ● Oct. 1, 2026

There were sheets of unlined paper and old magazines Dad had given me, an uncapped purple glue stick, and a folder so fat with clip art that papers spilled out of the opening.

From "The First Rule of Punk" by Celia C. Pérez

But critics have argued that uncapping bonuses could make the financial system more risky.

From BBC ● Oct. 24, 2023

The same colors appeared on my son’s palms, as he was most taken with the dynamics of uncapping and recapping the felts.

From Slate ● Jun. 9, 2017

Oil supplies have been maintained by uncapping state-owned reserve wells, and some experts predict that Argentina will be forced to import oil before December.

From Time Magazine Archive

"With the uncapping of retirement, tenure becomes a guarantee of lifetime work," says James Vinson, president of the University of Evansville in Indiana.

From Time Magazine Archive

I thought about uncapping it, but something held me back.

From "The Sea of Monsters" by Rick Riordan

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