Meaning

(transitive) To undo or open a lock or something locked by, for example, turning a key, or selecting a combination..

Definitions by Sense

1. (transitive) To undo or open a lock or something locked by, for example, turning a key, or selecting a combination.
2. (transitive) To obtain access to something; to meet the requirements of a security or protection system.
3. (transitive, mobile telephony) To configure (a mobile phone) so that it is not bound to any particular carrier.
4. (transitive) To disclose or reveal previously unknown knowledge or potential.
5. (intransitive) To be or become unfastened or unrestrained.
6. (transitive, figurative) To make available.
7. (transitive) To undermine something that has control over a situation; to find a way to counter or oppose.
8. The act of unlocking something.

Example Sentences

I unlocked the door and walked in.

I unlocked the dictionary article so I could edit it.

This computer game is shareware, but you can pay for a code to unlock the full version.

Plastics are energy-rich substances, which is why many of them burn so readily. Any organism that could unlock and use that energy would do well in the Anthropocene. Terrestrial bacteria and fungi which can manage this trick are already familiar to experts in the field.

The combination of the new station and road improvements is expected to unlock up to 14,000 new homes, with the council saying no more than 2,500 homes can be built at Beaulieu and north east Chelmsford without the station.

The discovery of a clue unlocked the mystery.

Twitter has extraordinary potential. I will unlock it.

He had come straight up without mishap or swerving off his course, and his shut teeth unlocked.

Word Forms

• unlocks
• unlocking
• unlocked

Synonyms for unlock

Antonyms for unlock

Related Words

When Should You Use Unlock?

Use unlock when its meaning, tone and grammar fit the full sentence. A synonym is not always a direct replacement.

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