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
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.
Unlock that deal, and shared prosperity would be the reward for all involved, insisted von der Leyen.
From Washington Times • Jul. 17, 2023
Unlock Democracy said the efforts to introduce the scheme "went very badly", and that the requirement for photo ID was "not necessary".
From BBC • May 5, 2023
The term was coined by economist Nelson Nash in the 1980s and outlined in his 2000 book, “Becoming Your Own Banker: Unlock the Infinite Banking Concept.”
From Seattle Times • Apr. 26, 2023
National Nutrition Month, with its 2023 theme of Unlock the Potential of Food, is an ideal opportunity to learn more about these approaches and adopt more heart-friendly behaviors.
From Salon • Mar. 20, 2023
She put her head out through the car window and said with fury, “My name is Eleanor Vance. I am expected in Hill House. Unlock those gates at once.”
From "The Haunting of Hill House" by Shirley Jackson
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.
