unseal

American  

[uhn-seel] / ʌnˈsil /

verb (used with object)

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

   to unseal a letter; to unseal a tomb.

2. to free from constraint, as a person's thought, speech, or behavior.

   Their friendship unsealed her vivacity.

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unseal British  

/ ʌnˈsiːl /

verb

1. to remove or break the seal of

2. to reveal or free (something concealed or closed as if sealed)

   to unseal one's lips

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Other Word Forms

• unsealable adjective

Etymology

Origin of unseal

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

Example Sentences

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

Florida and New York judges had previously refused to unseal grand jury materials related to Epstein, citing federal rules that require grand jury processes to be secret.

From BBC • Dec. 9, 2025

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

From "Ship Breaker" by Paolo Bacigalupi