unlock
Americanverb (used with object)
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to undo the lock of (a door, chest, etc.), especially with a key.
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to open or release by or as if by undoing a lock.
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to open (anything firmly closed or joined).
to unlock the jaws.
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to lay open; disclose.
to unlock the secrets of one's heart.
verb (used without object)
verb
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(tr) to unfasten (a lock, door, etc)
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(tr) to open, release, or let loose
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(tr) to disclose or provide the key to
unlock a puzzle
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(intr) to become unlocked
Other Word Forms
- unlockable adjective
Etymology
Origin of unlock
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.
“Optical interconnects and advanced package integration are foundational to the next phase of AI infrastructure, as they unlock ultrahigh-bandwidth, energy-efficient connectivity across AI factories,” Nvidia said in a statement announcing the investments.
From Barron's
In my room, I flopped onto my bed and unlocked my new phone.
From Literature
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I looked around, hoping for a clue, but a second later I heard footsteps and a door being unlocked behind me.
From Literature
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Investors are focused on the company’s AI efforts, believing they will unlock a new era of earnings growth.
From Barron's
But to unlock a flood of new lending, especially for first-time buyers trying to make a suitable down payment, would probably require much more than changes at the margins of capital rules.
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.