unearth
Americanverb (used with object)
-
unearths,
present (3rd person singular)
-
unearthed,
past participle, past
-
unearthing
present participle
-
to dig or get out of the earth; dig up.
-
to uncover or bring to light by search, inquiry, etc..
The lawyer unearthed new evidence.
verb
-
to dig up out of the earth
-
to reveal or discover, esp by exhaustive searching
Other Word Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
unearthsimple
-
unearthssimple
-
have unearthedperfect
-
has unearthedperfect
-
am unearthingprogressive
-
are unearthingprogressive
-
is unearthingprogressive
-
have been unearthingperfect progressive
-
has been unearthingperfect progressive
Past
-
unearthedsimple
-
had unearthedperfect
-
was unearthingprogressive
-
were unearthingprogressive
-
had been unearthingperfect progressive
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
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
"The End and the Beginning," Vocabulary from the poem
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
The Autobiography of Malcolm X
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
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:
Some customers were still coming by, hoping to unearth a rare gem amid the clothes, records, dishes and other items.
From Barron's ● Aug. 20, 2026
They are betting they can unearth new revenue by presenting past titles for the #BookTok era.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 30, 2026
Armed with just "an Drew", Filip's research led him to boxing and military records to unearth the truth.
From BBC ● May 25, 2026
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
Careful searches of cliffs near and far, however, have failed to unearth any human remains.
From "Into the Wild" by Jon Krakauer
In central London, a construction digger unearths an unexploded World War II bomb, and it starts to tick.
From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 23, 2026
Digging deeper, however, unearths a defensive tenor to Monday’s rally, which was paced by megacap tech, healthcare, and industrial stocks that was paired with a big bid for U.S.
From Barron's ● Mar. 10, 2026
Mr. O’Brien unearths the fact that Mr. Bird’s presence with the industrial team was so unremarkable that the local paper routinely misspelled his name.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Feb. 25, 2026
Rory McIlroy unearths a buried ball as he tries to play himself out of trouble on the 11th hole at The Open.
From BBC ● Jul. 19, 2025
From somewhere in the depths of the car our mother unearths a primus stove, which she sets up on the kitchen floor, since there is no table.
From "Cat's Eye" by Margaret Atwood
No matter what happens, at least one Parton tune will eventually be unearthed.
From Barron's ● Aug. 26, 2026
Gradually, they unearthed fragments of their family life - Moissés's shorts, Yusmani's Bible, and an unfinished shopping list - a sign they were getting closer to what had once been their home.
From BBC ● Aug. 14, 2026
But in recent text messages unearthed by Mother Jones as part of the ongoing custody dispute between Emily Moreno and Miller, Miller does seem to have recently threatened the senator.
From Slate ● Aug. 3, 2026
Details unearthed in a law-firm investigation into a fired coach and the school’s athletic culture weren’t shared with the public.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 31, 2026
Lee Jordan had unearthed a Gryffindor banner from somewhere, and he insisted on draping it around Harry like a cloak.
From "Harry Potter And The Goblet Of Fire" by J. K. Rowling
The unearthing in 2018 of a charcoal inscription at Pompeii featuring a date in October has been grist to the mill of those who seek to push the eruption beyond August.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jan. 2, 2026
The challenge with long-held silver may be unearthing the “cost basis,” or the amount originally paid, in order to determine the profit that is subject to tax, Weltman said.
From MarketWatch ● Dec. 31, 2025
Ms Maiklem has written four books about mudlarking, which was historically a trade of poor Victorians and is now a popular hobby involving unearthing historical artefacts from the silt on river banks.
From BBC ● Dec. 23, 2025
Yet as I’ve reported, researchers have made great strides in unearthing the causes and characteristics of autism.
From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 25, 2025
But archaeologists have had moderate success in unearthing other ancient instruments in all corners of the globe.
From "The Story of Music" by Howard Goodall
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.
