unhinge
Americanverb (used with object)
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to remove (a door or the like) from hinges.
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to open wide by or as if by removing supporting hinges.
to unhinge one's jaws.
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to upset; unbalance; disorient; throw into confusion or turmoil.
to unhinge the mind.
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to dislocate or disrupt the normal operation of; unsettle.
to unhinge plans.
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to detach or separate from something.
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to cause to waver or vacillate.
to unhinge supporters of conservative policies.
verb
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to remove (a door, gate, etc) from its hinges
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to derange or unbalance (a person, his mind, etc)
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to disrupt or unsettle (a process or state of affairs)
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(usually foll by from) to detach or dislodge
Other Word Forms
- unhingement noun
Etymology
Origin of unhinge
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.
The troubles at Credit Suisse threatened to unhinge Switzerland’s position as a leading financial market, and the takeover left the country with only one internationally important bank: UBS.
From Seattle Times • Jan. 24, 2024
Snakes can’t really unhinge their jaws, but for some, that doesn’t get in the way of swallowing absurdly large prey.
From New York Times • Aug. 31, 2023
Once I put it together, I assessed the four-pattied beast, fearing I would have to unhinge a jaw to consume it.
From Washington Post • Feb. 8, 2022
Players who think they need to flip the face closed or help the ball up unhinge the wrists too soon.
From Golf Digest • Aug. 20, 2018
Like some members of the reptile family, dwarf males can unhinge their jaws, allowing them to ingest several pounds of earth a second.
From "Artemis Fowl" by Eoin Colfer
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.
