unscrew
Americanverb (used with object)
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unscrews,
present (3rd person singular)
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unscrewed,
past participle, past
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unscrewing
present participle
verb (used without object)
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unscrews,
present (3rd person singular)
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unscrewed,
past participle, past
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unscrewing
present participle
verb
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(tr) to draw or remove a screw from (an object)
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(tr) to loosen (a screw, lid, etc) by rotating continuously, usually in an anticlockwise direction
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(intr) (esp of an engaged threaded part) to become loosened or separated
the lid wouldn't unscrew
Other Word Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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unscrewsimple
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unscrewssimple
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have unscrewedperfect
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has unscrewedperfect
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am unscrewingprogressive
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are unscrewingprogressive
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is unscrewingprogressive
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have been unscrewingperfect progressive
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has been unscrewingperfect progressive
Past
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unscrewedsimple
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had unscrewedperfect
-
was unscrewingprogressive
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were unscrewingprogressive
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had been unscrewingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of unscrew
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:
They can navigate mazes, use tools and unscrew jars — sometimes from the inside out.
From Salon ● May 12, 2025
As Alemu helped her young children unscrew parts while she rewired their toys, she hoped they’d take away a much larger lesson about sharing.
From Seattle Times ● Dec. 22, 2023
Take a moment and unscrew the lids of the cumin and chili powder jars, sniff, and see what moves you.
From Washington Times ● Oct. 26, 2023
It took the man just a few seconds to unscrew a steel plug, smaller than a coffee mug.
From BBC ● May 23, 2023
It didn’t unscrew, so he tried harder, and then tried to pull it, but that didn’t work either.
From "The Book of Dust: La Belle Sauvage" by Philip Pullman
You might think it unscrews to let you get inside.
From Seattle Times ● Oct. 11, 2019
After 10 minutes of intermittent whirring, Wesley lays down the device and unscrews the top of a closed Petri dish connected to the machine with a rubber tube.
From The Verge ● Jul. 8, 2014
The top corks tightly to keep water fresh and cold, and the bottom unscrews for easier cleaning.
From Inc ● Oct. 29, 2012
“It unscrews and all the pieces nest, so they stack,” Elizabeth Thompson, the institute’s executive director, said.
From New York Times ● Nov. 17, 2011
He wants to brag about this encounter, like a knight errant bragging about his coolness as he unscrews the spike from the monster’s heart and breathes life back into the fiery nostrils.
From "Jazz" by Toni Morrison
Crews also have been installing locked steel covers over bolts so they cannot be unscrewed.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 5, 2024
The shaft that controlled the tail rotor then unscrewed and became detached as a result, which in turn caused the helicopter to spin out of the pilot's control.
From BBC ● Sep. 5, 2023
"The plunger needs to be unscrewed and disassembled to get all the oils and coffee grounds out," he says.
From Salon ● Apr. 1, 2023
Susannah unscrewed the lid of a doll’s pink plastic sippy cup and held the cup out to Mr. Rosen.
From New York Times ● Dec. 19, 2022
I unscrewed the lid and set it aside.
From "The Secret Life of Bees" by Sue Monk Kidd
This is why you let an incandescent bulb cool off before unscrewing it.
From Seattle Times ● Aug. 2, 2023
Olympic staff crowded around the vault, unscrewing bolts and shuffling it up to its proper height.
From BBC ● May 1, 2023
The Czech government announced on Thursday it was unscrewing half of lightbulbs at the government office and swapping remaining old bulbs for less-consuming LED sources.
From Reuters ● Sep. 22, 2022
Fortunately, separating the frame that holds the solar panels from the robotic arm can be accomplished in just a few minutes by unscrewing a handful of finger-friendly bolts.
From The Verge ● Jun. 22, 2022
“And you just like bought a ticket and—” He interrupted again while unscrewing the cap.
From "The Fault in Our Stars" by John Green
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.
