unpack
Americanverb (used with object)
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to undo or remove the contents from (a box, trunk, etc.).
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to remove (something) from a container, suitcase, etc.
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to unburden, as the mind; reveal.
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to decipher or discern (the meaning of symbols, statements, etc.).
Each statement could be unpacked in the general theory.
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to remove a pack or load from (a horse, vehicle, etc.).
verb (used without object)
verb
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to remove the packed contents of (a case, trunk, etc)
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(tr) to take (something) out of a packed container
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(tr) to remove a pack from; unload
to unpack a mule
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(tr) to explain (a question, issue, etc) by analysing its component parts
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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unpacksimple
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unpackssimple
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have unpackedperfect
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has unpackedperfect
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am unpackingprogressive
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are unpackingprogressive
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is unpackingprogressive
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have been unpackingperfect progressive
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has been unpackingperfect progressive
Past
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unpackedsimple
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had unpackedperfect
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was unpackingprogressive
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were unpackingprogressive
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had been unpackingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of unpack
First recorded in 1425–75, unpack is from the late Middle English word unpakken. See un- 2, pack 1
Explanation
To unpack is to take stuff out that's been packed, like the clothing in your suitcase or the fragile item that's been buried in ten thousand Styrofoam peanuts. If a large shipment arrives at a company, it may take several people to unpack the items and take stock of the contents. We also use unpack to describe analyzing something by taking it apart. This is sort of like unpacking a box or unpacking your luggage, because you're dismantling the components of something, but it's more likely an idea than a physical object.
Vocabulary lists containing unpack
Word Generation Science - Introductory Chemistry Concepts
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100 SAT Words Beginning with "U"
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Unit 8
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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.
Banks claims the pitch included promises that the documentary would unpack the show’s legacy “not as a takedown, but as a thoughtful in-depth reflection on its influence, evolution, and impact on fashion, television, and culture.”
From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 16, 2026
There’s something to that last part that paints the perfect picture of our relationship as a whole, which maybe I’ll feel the need to unpack when I decide to stop filling my Lexapro.
From Salon • Jun. 1, 2026
There's plenty to unpack at Selhurst Park this summer.
From BBC • May 28, 2026
My job was to unpack the deliveries of shoes for the day and put them on the proper shelf in the stock room.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 7, 2026
As the sun dips low in the sky, Taryn and I unpack our baskets from home, which contain bread, butter, cheese, and plums.
From "The Cruel Prince" by Holly Black
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.
