unlock
verb (used with object)
to undo the lock of (a door, chest, etc.), especially with a key.
was unlocking
-
past progressiveof unlock.past progressive
Used to describe an ongoing action or continuous state that was happening at a specific time in the past.
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.
Chief among his changes was unlocking more expensive gear for browsing customers to play, and bolstering training for sales staff.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 23, 2026
On Tuesday, the resident was unlocking the padlock to drive off the property when he was approached by a Union-Tribune reporter.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jan. 9, 2019
On Monday, a 56-page notebook Mr. Turing kept in the 1940s, while he was unlocking what were considered to be unbreakable Nazi codes, sold for more than $1 million at an auction in New York.
From New York Times ● Apr. 14, 2015
My first encounter with Walter Scott was unlocking a trunk, in my grandfather's attic, which contained the 'Waverley' novels.
From BBC ● Jun. 16, 2012
The Controller, meanwhile, had crossed to the other side of the room and was unlocking a large safe set into the wall between the bookshelves.
From "Brave New World" by Aldous Huxley
