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

Even bitcoin miners—the companies that own warehouses of specialized computers that unlock new bitcoins—are changing their business models to cater to AI.

From The Wall Street Journal

“AI offers transformative opportunities to unlock tremendous value in real estate,” he says.

From Barron's

What did that unlock for you about the journey of these two young men and how they navigated their respective traumas?

From Los Angeles Times

Students at Portobello High School and Queensferry High School were issued with special wallets which, once sealed, require a magnetic pad to unlock them.

From BBC

Demonstrating that DNA has a three-dimensional, double-helix shape allowed Watson and Crick to unlock the secrets of how cells worked, and how characteristics were passed down through generations.

From BBC

Related Words

• decipher
• undo
• unravel