unlock

American  

[uhn-lok] / ʌnˈlɒk /

verb (used with object)

1. to undo the lock of (a door, chest, etc.), especially with a key.

2. to open or release by or as if by undoing a lock.

3. to open (anything firmly closed or joined).

   to unlock the jaws.

4. to lay open; disclose.

   to unlock the secrets of one's heart.

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verb (used without object)

1. to become unlocked.

unlock British  

/ ʌnˈlɒk /

verb

1. (tr) to unfasten (a lock, door, etc)

2. (tr) to open, release, or let loose

3. (tr) to disclose or provide the key to

   unlock a puzzle

4. (intr) to become unlocked

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Other Word Forms

• unlockable adjective

Etymology

Origin of unlock

1350–1400; Middle English unloken; un- ², lock ¹

Example Sentences

But to unlock a flood of new lending, especially for first-time buyers trying to make a suitable down payment, would probably require much more than changes at the margins of capital rules.

From The Wall Street Journal

Salesforce could potentially unlock more shareholder value through strategic mergers and acquisitions, he added.

From MarketWatch

Reserve members—those earning 2,500 stars in 12 months—unlock premium perks such as the chance to vie for those trips.

From Barron's

Its value is not omnipresence — it’s the ability to unlock decision-motivating data and context in seconds.

From MarketWatch

"The rise of the 'Global South' and the reshaping of the global trade and investment landscape will unlock new markets and new growth areas for Hong Kong" despite protectionism and fragmentation, he added.

From Barron's

Related Words

• decipher
• undo
• unravel