unseal

verb

un·​seal ˌən-ˈsēl How to pronounce unseal (audio)
unsealed; unsealing; unseals

transitive verb

: to break or remove the seal of : open

Examples of unseal in a Sentence

The court unsealed the documents in the Douglas trial today.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Mounting public pressure has led the president to direct the DOJ to unseal grand jury testimony related to Epstein. Mandy Taheri, MSNBC Newsweek, 19 July 2025 The Justice Department asked a federal court on July 18, 2025, to unseal grand jury transcripts in Jeffrey Epstein’s case. Art Jipson, The Conversation, 19 July 2025 In 2021, the California gun dealer and his brother enlisted then-police chief James Bushey of the Town of Linn Police Department in Walworth County to sign documents saying his department needed the ammunition, according to a federal search warrant unsealed in late 2024 and other documents. John Diedrich, jsonline.com, 10 July 2025 According to the Dakota County District Court criminal complaint, which was unsealed Thursday: About 3:12 a.m., police were called to the residential neighborhood on the report of an unresponsive man lying on the sidewalk. Nick Ferraro, Twin Cities, 10 July 2025 See All Example Sentences for unseal

Word History

First Known Use

12th century, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of unseal was in the 12th century

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Unseal.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/unseal. Accessed 27 Jul. 2025.

Kids Definition

unseal

verb
un·​seal ˌən-ˈsē(ə)l How to pronounce unseal (audio)
ˈən-
: to break or remove the seal of

More from Merriam-Webster on unseal

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!