unscrew
Americanverb (used with object)
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unscrews,
present (3rd person singular)
-
unscrewed,
past participle, past
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unscrewing
present participle
verb (used without object)
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unscrews,
present (3rd person singular)
-
unscrewed,
past participle, past
-
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
-
unscrewedsimple
-
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
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
He can also unscrew his left arm and replace it with a shield, a grappling hook or a flamethrower.
From Seattle Times ● Sep. 17, 2023
It took the man just a few seconds to unscrew a steel plug, smaller than a coffee mug.
From BBC ● May 23, 2023
When I finish, I use the tip of one of my knives to unscrew the cover to the bathroom's ventilation shaft.
From "Legend" by Marie Lu
On a recent visit, a technician unscrews one of the jars, empties the formaldehyde and rinses the krill under running water, a dozen fitting in the palm of his hand.
From Seattle Times ● Oct. 13, 2023
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
And then unscrews the top of the pepper and pours some of that on top.
From "Shouting at the Rain" by Lynda Mullaly Hunt
At one point he even unscrewed the computer tower to take some internal components home for tests.
From BBC ● Jul. 31, 2026
I wouldn’t have expected to become so interested in screws being unscrewed, tabs unbent, machines reduced to component parts, cleaned and painted, with missing parts newly fabricated.
From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 5, 2024
Vance asked as he unscrewed the plastic cap from the bottle.
From Salon ● Aug. 5, 2024
Investigators discovered that a clamp nut threaded into the barrel of the actuator and that connects the top of the assembly to the stabilizer had unscrewed from the barrel.
From Seattle Times ● Oct. 27, 2022
Next, he lifted the sorceress puppet from its perch and unscrewed its left leg.
From "Pax" by Sara Pennypacker
Olympic staff crowded around the vault, unscrewing bolts and shuffling it up to its proper height.
From BBC ● May 1, 2023
“Something within the cylinder was unscrewing the top!”
From Seattle Times ● Feb. 15, 2023
“I solve it by unscrewing the removable part of the frame that lets you take the tiles out,” he said.
From New York Times ● Jan. 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
“Like unscrewing your chair from your desk, or tearing a hole in the bottom of your backpack.”
From "Made You Up" by Francesca Zappia
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Get a wordDefinitions 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.
