unhook

verb

un·​hook ˌən-ˈhu̇k 

unhooked; unhooking; unhooks

transitive verb

1

: to remove from a hook

2

: to unfasten by disengaging a hook

3

: to free from a habit or dependency

Examples of unhook in a Sentence

He unhooked the fish from the line.

She reached behind her and unhooked her bra.

Recent Examples on the Web

Smallmouth bass are among the hardest-fighting freshwater sport fishes, popular with anglers for the leaping acrobatics the fish perform trying to unhook themselves. —Martin J. Kernan, Scientific American, 26 Sep. 2025

The nurse began to unhook the apparatus that kept Lisa’s chest rising and falling. —Brianne Tracy, PEOPLE, 17 Sep. 2025

Andrade knocked him off and grabbed the briefcase, but couldn’t reach the latch to unhook it. —Blake Oestriecher, Forbes.com, 8 June 2025

My new book, The Last Ferry Out (out May 20), unhooks the velvet rope into another fascinating clique: a group of expats living on a tiny tropical island off the coast of Cancún. —Andrea Bartz, People.com, 18 May 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1611, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for unhook

• betook
• casebook
• chapbook
• checkbook
• chinook
• codebook
• cookbook
• fishhook
• forsook
• guidebook
• handbook
• hornbook

Kids Definition

unhook

verb

un·​hook ˌən-ˈhu̇k 

1

: to remove from a hook

2

: to unfasten the hooks of