Synonyms

unseal

American

[uhn-seel] / ʌnˈsil /

verb (used with object)

to break or remove the seal of; open, as something sealed or firmly closed.

to unseal a letter; to unseal a tomb.
to free from constraint, as a person's thought, speech, or behavior.

Their friendship unsealed her vivacity.

unseal British

/ ʌnˈsiːl /

verb

to remove or break the seal of
to reveal or free (something concealed or closed as if sealed)

to unseal one's lips

"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

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

unsealable

adjective

Inflected Forms

Participles

Conjugated Forms

Present

Past

Future

Etymology

Origin of unseal

1375–1425; late Middle English unselen; see un- ², seal ¹

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.

As part of his ruling, Boasberg also granted the central bank’s request to unseal the proceedings related to the Fed’s effort to quash the subpoenas targeting its chair.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 13, 2026

Media organizations successfully petitioned the court to unseal the documents.

From Salon • Mar. 12, 2026

It also seeks to unseal the FBI's affidavit used to obtain the warrant from a federal magistrate judge.

From Barron's • Feb. 4, 2026

In order to unseal the Epstein documents, Congress was waiting for one last signature to put the matter to a vote.

From Slate • Nov. 13, 2025

First he needed to unseal with the wheel, then he needed to yank the handle.

From "Ship Breaker" by Paolo Bacigalupi

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