unbutton

verb

un·​but·​ton ˌən-ˈbə-tᵊn 

unbuttoned; unbuttoning; unbuttons

transitive verb

1

: to loose the buttons of

2

: to open by or as if by loosing buttons

intransitive verb

: to undo buttons

Examples of unbutton in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Newsom, standing in the river in aviator shades, his dark blue shirt unbuttoned to the sternum, shrugged and acknowledged the point. — Jack Dolan, Los Angeles Times, 16 Sep. 2026

His shirt is almost fully unbuttoned, chain dangling, looking for a target to direct his adrenaline rush. — Jeff Weiss, HollywoodReporter, 1 Sep. 2026

At a conference last Friday announcing the city had come to an agreement with the county and the team, Clendenin unbuttoned his dress shirt to reveal a Rays jersey customized with his name. — Nicolas Villamil, The Orlando Sentinel, 27 Aug. 2026

The scoop neck has five functional buttons that can be undone, as well as elbow-length sleeves that can be unbuttoned to hang even lower. — Amelia McBride, Travel + Leisure, 13 Aug. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Rhymes for unbutton

• button
• clutton
• glutton
• mutton

Kids Definition

unbutton

verb

un·​but·​ton ˌən-ˈbət-ᵊn 

: to unfasten the buttons of (as a garment)