unstick

[ uhn-stik ]

See synonyms for: unstick unstuck on Thesaurus.com

verb (used with object),un·stuck, un·stick·ing.

to free, as one thing stuck to another.

verb (used without object),un·stuck, un·stick·ing.

to become unstuck: Finally, the car's horn unstuck.

Origin of unstick

First recorded in 1700–10; un-² + stick²

Words Nearby unstick

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use unstick in a sentence

When the rocks suddenly unstick, or snap, they release all that stress as an earthquake.
What can ‘silent earthquakes’ teach us about the next Big One? | JoAnna Wendel | November 11, 2021 | Science News For Students
When we dissolve sugar in water, all we do is unstick those true molecules.
Explainer: In chemistry, what does it mean to be organic? | Katie Grace Carpenter | October 7, 2021 | Science News For Students
What those glues typically can’t do, however, is later unstick and restick on command.
New glue offers to turn any small walking robot into Spider-Man | Shi En Kim | August 18, 2021 | Science News For Students
There are a bevy of metaphorical interpretations both of the ship getting stuck and the comparatively tiny machines trying to unstick it.
Why a ship stuck in Egypt threatens the economy in the United States | Philip Bump | March 25, 2021 | Washington Post
Beyond that, keeping your blood flowing and exercising your limbs’ full range of motion can unstick any tissues in your arm that are over-compressed.
The best way to prevent arm pain from using your phone too much | Hannah Seo | March 11, 2021 | Popular-Science

And, come to that, I don't need to unstick the envelope to know what's inside here.
The Girl on the Boat | Pelham Grenville Wodehouse

British Dictionary definitions for unstick

unstick

/ (ʌnˈstɪk) /

verb-sticks, -sticking or -stuck

(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

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