unfasten
Americanverb (used with object)
-
unfastens,
present (3rd person singular)
-
unfastened,
past participle, past
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unfastening
present participle
-
to release from or as from fastenings; detach.
-
to undo or open (something fastened).
verb (used without object)
-
unfastens,
present (3rd person singular)
-
unfastened,
past participle, past
-
unfastening
present participle
verb
Other Word Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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unfastensimple
-
unfastenssimple
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have unfastenedperfect
-
has unfastenedperfect
-
am unfasteningprogressive
-
are unfasteningprogressive
-
is unfasteningprogressive
-
have been unfasteningperfect progressive
-
has been unfasteningperfect progressive
Past
-
unfastenedsimple
-
had unfastenedperfect
-
was unfasteningprogressive
-
were unfasteningprogressive
-
had been unfasteningperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of unfasten
First recorded in 1175–1225, unfasten is from the Middle English word unfastnen. See un- 2, fasten
Explanation
When you unfasten something, you loosen or open it. You should wait to unfasten your seatbelt until the car has completely stopped. To fasten is to hook, close, or latch something, and to unfasten it is to undo it. You might unfasten your dog's leash so she can run free on the beach or unfasten the snaps and buttons on your jacket so you can take it off. You can also unfasten your ponytail, letting your hair down, or unfasten the latch on a gate. The Old English root word is fæstnian, "make fast or firm."
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:
For 12 days, we shared every moment and, surrounded by the kind of beauty only a remote bay in the Pacific could afford, I felt something unfasten in my chest.
From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 8, 2024
To serve the cheesecake, run a knife around the outer edge to loosen it from the pan, then carefully unfasten the sides of the pan and transfer the cheesecake to a cake plate or stand.
From Fox News ● Dec. 16, 2021
Operators are supposed to unfasten all of the seat belts after each ride so the next load of people can be buckled in.
From Seattle Times ● Sep. 25, 2021
Turn off the heat, allow the pressurized steam to escape, then unfasten the lid and check for doneness; you want your beans to be very tender and quite creamy.
From Washington Post ● Jun. 3, 2018
Katya had to unfasten her straps and climb up out of the cockpit to prove that she and her crew were ready for combat.
From "A Thousand Sisters" by Elizabeth Wein
The bearded guy in front of us unfastens his earflaps and says, chuckling, “Haven’t you guys ever stood in line for beer before?”
From Washington Post ● Sep. 6, 2017
Home for the busy man about Brazil these days is where he unfastens his seat belt.
From Time Magazine Archive
One Atlanta man unfastens his seat belt, and turns off his hearing aid, as soon as he starts his new Impala.
From Time Magazine Archive
Ma comes around to the trunk of the pine tree, unfastens the wire that holds the fencing closed, and lets herself in.
From "Shiloh" by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor
I give it a press and the clasp unfastens.
From "Amari and the Night Brothers" by B.B. Alston
It was a photograph of a young Newsom at some glitzy gala with the top two buttons of his white shirt unfastened.
From Slate ● Aug. 26, 2025
Very quietly, so as not to wake Abby, she unfastened the zip of the tent.
From BBC ● May 18, 2023
Forensic investigations found two broken bolts and another that unfastened while the engine was running.
From Seattle Times ● Mar. 15, 2022
At the end of the transect, Riis stopped at another parlous roadside spot, unfastened the net and removed the small bag at its tip.
From New York Times ● Nov. 27, 2018
He carefully unfastened the nearest part of the tarpaulin and lifted it enough to peer out.
From "The Book of Dust: La Belle Sauvage" by Philip Pullman
Kondo brought garments to life, like kites in the sky with voluminous silhouettes created by fastening and unfastening buttons.
From Seattle Times ● Jun. 20, 2024
Fastidiously spend a couple of minutes unfastening all the straps before you can sit down?
From The Guardian ● Sep. 19, 2019
Could this be the start of a major unfastening of the strictures she lives under?
From New York Times ● May 4, 2016
But it’s generally true that the unfastening is its own reward.
From Slate ● Apr. 19, 2012
“He needs me,” I said, finally unfastening the BiPAP myself.
From "The Fault in Our Stars" by John Green
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