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Synonyms

unhook

American  
[uhn-hook] / ʌnˈhʊk /

verb (used with object)

  • unhooks,
    present (3rd person singular)
  • unhooked,
    past participle,  past
  • unhooking
    present participle
  1. to detach by or as if by releasing a hook.

    to unhook a tractor from a trailer.

  2. to unfasten or open by undoing a hook or hooks.

    to unhook a door; to unhook a corset.


verb (used without object)

  • unhooks,
    present (3rd person singular)
  • unhooked,
    past participle,  past
  • unhooking
    present participle
  1. to become unhooked.

unhook British  
/ ʌnˈhʊk /

verb

  1. (tr) to remove (something) from a hook

  2. (tr) to unfasten the hook of (a dress, etc)

  3. (intr) to become unfastened or be capable of unfastening

    the dress wouldn't unhook

"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 unhook

First recorded in 1605–15; un- 2 + hook 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:

You have to come to a meeting spot at the border, unhook all your trucks and trailers, bring in another truck to bring it in to the U.S.

From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 2, 2024

While trains and trucks also transport EVs, isolating and extinguishing fires is easier as workers can unhook a rail car and a trucker can pull over, said Frazee.

From Reuters ● Jul. 27, 2023

When his grandfather caught a fish, he would unhook it and throw it on the ground, and Roy would snatch it up and quickly stuff it, still wriggling, in the bag.

From New York Times ● Jul. 7, 2023

It’s likely that you’ll need to unhook your trailer in order to position your truck properly to get it connected to a charging station’s power cord.

From Seattle Times ● Feb. 15, 2023

Darin stands on his toes to unhook the latch when a scrape in the alley beyond stops him short.

From "An Ember in the Ashes" by Sabaa Tahir

He reels in the baitfish, unhooks it, rehooks it with the shark hook, and tosses the bobber, leader, and bait back out, before handing the shark rod to me.

From Slate ● Sep. 1, 2022

Mallory Sarver unhooks one, loosens the drawstring, reaches in and pulls out a tiny bird with a gray head, a brilliant yellow belly with black streaks and white stripes on its black wings.

From Washington Times ● May 26, 2018

He reels in both lines, unhooks the fish and transfers it to his son’s rig.

From The New Yorker ● Jun. 19, 2016

The flap is connected with a unique clip that unhooks with a downward squeeze.

From Time ● May 10, 2016

He unhooks a heavy ring of keys from his belt loop, shaking his head.

From "Wintergirls" by Laurie Halse Anderson

Truckers said they were cooking meals inside their cabs, sleeping where they unhooked their trailers to avoid overnight parking fees and waiting for rainstorms to clean their rigs rather than paying $100 for a wash.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 5, 2026

He unhooked the trailer from the cab and drove to safety, leaving the trailer full of frozen meat on the side of the road.

From Slate ● May 13, 2026

Before the start of a news conference on Wednesday, officials unhooked their masks in quick succession, a staged gesture that deviated from past Covid-19 protocols.

From New York Times ● Dec. 1, 2022

Hawkins said the incident ended peacefully after some four hours as the Iranians unhooked the tow line to the drone and left the area as the American forces were nearby.

From Washington Times ● Aug. 30, 2022

It was there that I unhooked my sleeve and managed to get to my feet.

From "Bad Boy" by Walter Dean Myers

Six months later, pain still radiated from his back into his legs as he ran up and down the floor of a warehouse hooking and unhooking cows from milking machines.

From New York Times ● Dec. 28, 2023

"I was hooking her up to the dialysis machine when the call came in. She started unhooking herself, got dressed and off she went."

From BBC ● Mar. 23, 2019

It’s simply about unhooking your brain from the harmful routines it has adopted around this particular device, and hooking it to better things.

From New York Times ● Feb. 23, 2019

“I caught some snow all the way from Ohio,” he said, while unhooking a Kia SUV from the trailer bed.

From Washington Post ● Mar. 21, 2018

“Frankly,” said Henry, unhooking his glasses and giving them a quick swipe with his handkerchief, “it strikes me as just the type of stupid thing that Bunny would do.”

From "The Secret History" by Donna Tartt

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