unlock
verb (used with object)
to undo the lock of (a door, chest, etc.), especially with a key.
were 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.
Two young women were unlocking their bikes from a pole when I approached them.
From Slate ● Jul. 23, 2024
They were unlocking the game’s secrets, the stuff competitive players take for granted now: which letters to play off, which to keep, when to play a phony, how to win.
From Slate ● Mar. 28, 2014
The next morning I was at the lower Fifth Avenue store as they were unlocking the doors.
From New York Times ● Oct. 13, 2010
It was Wednesday morning just as Father and I were unlocking our workbenches that Peter’s little sister Cocky burst into the shop.
From "The Hiding Place" by Corrie ten Boom
People had come back into the streets, and shopkeepers were unlocking their steel shutters.
From The Status Civilization by Robert Sheckley
