unhinge

verb

un·​hinge ˌən-ˈhinj 

unhinged; unhinging; unhinges

transitive verb

1

: to make unstable : unsettle, disrupt

unhinge the balance of world peace

pressure that would unhinge a less experienced person

2

: to remove from the hinges

unhinge a door

Synonyms

• disturb
• distract
• unsettle
• bother
• derange
• unbalance
• confuse
• frenzy
• upset
• annoy

Examples of unhinge in a Sentence

the endless harassment by the guards completely unhinged the prisoners of war

I was momentarily unhinged by the unexpected question.

Recent Examples on the Web

Intensely creepy and increasingly unhinged, Alejandro Amenábar’s supernatural chiller owes much to Kidman’s unwavering commitment as a distressed, shotgun-wielding mother trying to protect her children from the hauntings plaguing their remote country house in ’40s Jersey. —Radhika Seth, Vogue, 8 Oct. 2025

Ringo Starr and Harry Nilsson headline this unhinged British musical, in which Merlin the Magician (Starr, who also produced) tries to convince Nilsson's reluctant immortal to assume the family throne. —Declan Gallagher, Entertainment Weekly, 7 Oct. 2025

His speech was unhinged, often not founded in fact, and rambled badly. —Dp Opinion, Denver Post, 30 Sep. 2025

Again, to the unhinged, that’s a license to lash out. —Boston Herald Editorial Staff, Boston Herald, 27 Sep. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1612, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for unhinge

• impinge
• infringe
• syringe
• binge
• cringe
• fringe
• hinge
• singe
• tinge
• twinge

Kids Definition

unhinge

verb

un·​hinge ˌən-ˈhinj 

1

: unsettle sense 2, disrupt

a mind unhinged by grief

2

: to remove (as a door) from the hinges