Synonyms

unscrew

American

[uhn-skroo] / ʌnˈskru /

verb (used with object)

to draw or loosen a screw from (a hinge, bracket, etc.).
to unfasten or withdraw by turning, as a screw or lid.
to open (a jar, bottle, etc.) by turning the lid or cover.

verb (used without object)

to permit of being unscrewed.

unscrew British

/ ʌnˈskruː /

verb

(tr) to draw or remove a screw from (an object)
(tr) to loosen (a screw, lid, etc) by rotating continuously, usually in an anticlockwise direction
(intr) (esp of an engaged threaded part) to become loosened or separated

the lid wouldn't unscrew

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

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Present

Past

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Etymology

Origin of unscrew

First recorded in 1595–1605; un- ² + screw

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.

Unscrew it, put in a cup of kibble, rest it on the floor, walk away, and the dog will push the egg around with his nose and paws to get the food to dribble out.

From Washington Post • Aug. 7, 2022

Unscrew this and use it to hold your SSD into place.

From The Verge • Jul. 29, 2021

Unscrew the hooks and pull out the anchors, further damaging the wall and requiring the holes to be filled with fresh concrete.

From Los Angeles Times • May 13, 2019

Unscrew the slide and take it out of the carburetor.

From Time Magazine Archive

And there were two lines from the poem that were highlighted in green: Unscrew the locks from the doors!

From "Paper Towns" by John Green

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023