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 of unhinge

• 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

His reaction to these setbacks is unhinged, to say the least. — Erik Kain, Forbes.com, 26 July 2026

There were stretches when it could easily have been argued that Rick and Morty was the loopiest and most creatively unhinged (in a good way) show on television. — Daniel Fienberg, HollywoodReporter, 24 July 2026

The film shot Curry Barker onto the A-list of new directing talent and made a star of Inde Navarrette and her virtuosically unhinged performance as Nikki. — Los Angeles Times, 21 July 2026

The music of their first decade was gloriously unhinged, and inspirational to folks from Kurt Cobain to the Flaming Lips. — Steve Appleford, SPIN, 20 July 2026

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