unlock
Americanverb (used with object)
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to undo the lock of (a door, chest, etc.), especially with a key.
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to open or release by or as if by undoing a lock.
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to open (anything firmly closed or joined).
to unlock the jaws.
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to lay open; disclose.
to unlock the secrets of one's heart.
verb (used without object)
verb
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(tr) to unfasten (a lock, door, etc)
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(tr) to open, release, or let loose
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(tr) to disclose or provide the key to
unlock a puzzle
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(intr) to become unlocked
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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unlocksimple
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unlockssimple
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have unlockedperfect
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has unlockedperfect
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am unlockingprogressive
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are unlockingprogressive
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is unlockingprogressive
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have been unlockingperfect progressive
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has been unlockingperfect progressive
Past
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unlockedsimple
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had unlockedperfect
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was unlockingprogressive
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were unlockingprogressive
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had been unlockingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of unlock
Explanation
When you unlock something, you turn a key or use a code in order to open it. You have to unlock your locker before you can get the books you need for English class. You might unlock your front door by turning a bolt or unlock a hotel room door by sliding a card into a reader. Either way, something was secured with a lock and now you've opened it. This verb is also used for smart phones: "Once you unlock the screen, you can see that photo I sent." Unlock is formed by adding the prefix un-, "reverse," to lock, "fasten or secure."
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:
Few competitors have been able to unlock reusability for their own rockets.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 10, 2026
"By creating conditions that support a more effective antitumor immune response, these particles may help unlock the full potential of immunotherapy in prostate cancer, where durable responses have historically been difficult to achieve."
From Science Daily ● Jul. 9, 2026
"Lifting sanctions on Syria will unlock international trade and investment, give Syria a chance to rebuild, and open up a new chapter for the Syrian people," he said.
From Barron's ● Jul. 8, 2026
Su notes that the discount looks even harder to justify against current fundamentals as Tencent’s flagship games continue to dominate China’s top-grossing charts while video accounts unlock high-margin ad revenue.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 1, 2026
I grab the key from under her mattress and unlock the drawer.
From "The House That Lou Built" by Mae Respicio
"Vertical integration is already starting to make its way into commercial devices, particularly in specialized AI hardware, but monolithic integration is what unlocks the full promise of 3D chips," Cao said.
From Science Daily ● May 30, 2026
“We’re just excited for the amount of creativity that it unlocks, and for our audience to discover them in the most organic way.”
From Los Angeles Times ● May 28, 2026
She unlocks the door, saying she's "feeling really ungrateful now" and reiterating that "this is just where they are at the moment".
From BBC ● May 22, 2026
"Indian refiners will likely move quickly to lock in the additional barrels the extension unlocks before the May 16 deadline."
From Barron's ● Apr. 26, 2026
And rather than burn it to release energy, they use nuclear fission, a process that unlocks the energy stored inside a tiny, tiny package: the nucleus of an atom.
From "Meltdown" by Deirdre Langeland
The residents of the tiny village of Haytor Vale - where neighbours are accustomed to feeling so safe they can leave their doors unlocked - are a community in shock.
From BBC ● Jul. 11, 2026
It also unlocked the ending he’d been chasing.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 1, 2026
He’s part of an army of Americans motivated by the limitations of the traditional workplace and the promise, however distant, of riches unlocked by a 24-hour live digital marketplace.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 27, 2026
But the European Union unlocked one potential cheat code by promising voluntary guidelines to manage video games' "end of life".
From Barron's ● Jun. 16, 2026
Maybe the cabin had a back door that was unlocked.
From "Earthquake Terror" by Peg Kehret
Morgan Stanley said in a recent report that Hong Kong faces a “meaningful amount of share unlocking and potential secondary selling” in July and September.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 9, 2026
Muncy unlocking even more potential in the hot corner is a big part of the Dodgers raising their defensive ceiling.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 3, 2026
Nuro has already hit its first milestones on schedule, unlocking an initial tranche of performance-linked capital.
From MarketWatch ● Jun. 24, 2026
It broke into an electronics factory, but surprised police who had surrounded the building after reportedly escaping by unlocking a window.
From BBC ● Jun. 9, 2026
“When did I—” “Good God! How!” yelled Mr. Sharpe, striding to the door and unlocking it.
From "The Astonishing Life of Octavian Nothing, Traitor to the Nation, Volume I: The Pox Party" by M.T. Anderson
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.
