Synonyms

unstick

American

[uhn-stik] / ʌnˈstɪk /

verb (used with object)

unstuck, unsticking

to free, as one thing stuck to another.

verb (used without object)

unstuck, unsticking

to become unstuck.

Finally, the car's horn unstuck.

unstick British

/ ʌnˈstɪk /

verb

(tr) to free or loosen (something stuck)

"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

Etymology

Origin of unstick

First recorded in 1700–10; un- ² + stick ²

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.

"We - our team and the United States administration - came to Beijing in order to unstick what has been stuck since almost last August," Kerry told reporters late on Wednesday.

From Reuters • Jul. 19, 2023

Within days of my injury, I could unstick my tongue from the roof of my mouth and create an odd sound every now and then, but I couldn’t communicate in any traditional sense.

From Washington Post • Feb. 25, 2023

“She was stuck and needed a lawyer to unstick the situation,” Hruska said.

From Seattle Times • Feb. 19, 2023

Separately, nobody's trying to unstick cancellation from legitimately awful folks like Paula Deen and Megyn Kelly.

From Salon • Nov. 13, 2021

I dithered outside the barbershop next to the portrait studio, trying to unstick my feet and go back.

From "The Red Car to Hollywood" by Jennie Liu

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