unhook

American  

[uhn-hook] / ʌnˈhʊk /

verb (used with object)

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: hook.

   to unhook a door; to unhook a corset.

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verb (used without object)

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

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Etymology

Origin of unhook

First recorded in 1605–15; un- ² + hook ¹

Example Sentences

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

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

Nichols invests Beatrice with a sense of acute antennae and also, a weary steadiness: She won’t let Eddie off the hook, but she’s too tied to him to unhook herself, either.

From Washington Post • Nov. 22, 2016

I’d like to unhook the rotten old motor and drop it in the water, but I don’t.

From "The Young Man and the Sea" by Rodman Philbrick

Related Words

• alleviate
• break up
• ease
• loose
• relax
• slacken
• undo
• unlock
• unscrew
• untie