unpack

verb

un·​pack ˌən-ˈpak How to pronounce unpack (audio)
unpacked; unpacking; unpacks

transitive verb

1
a
: to remove the contents of
unpack a suitcase
b
: unburden, reveal
must … unpack my heart with wordsWilliam Shakespeare
2
: to remove or undo from packing or a container
unpacked his gear
3
: to analyze the nature of by examining in detail : explicate
unpack a concept
4
: decompress sense 2
unpack a compressed file

intransitive verb

: to engage in unpacking a container
unpacker noun

Examples of unpack in a Sentence

It's been a year since I moved here and I still haven't unpacked all of my books. I unpacked my suitcase as soon as I arrived home. By the time we got to the hotel, I was too tired to unpack. She's good at unpacking complex concepts.
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.
Featuring the good, the bad and the ugly, ‘Look of the Week’ is a regular series dedicated to unpacking the most talked about outfit of the last seven days. Leah Dolan, CNN Money, 1 Sep. 2025 There is so much to unpack here! Rachel McRady, People.com, 1 Sep. 2025 In a 2023 post, NATO's Strategic Warfare Development Command unpacked a relatively new concept known as cognitive warfare. Mary Crossan, Forbes.com, 30 Aug. 2025 To unpack this symbolism William Suida analyses the Dreyfus Madonna, a painting sometimes attributed to Leonardo da Vinci, sometimes to Lorenzo de Credi. Demir Alp, JSTOR Daily, 29 Aug. 2025 See All Example Sentences for unpack

Word History

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of unpack was in the 15th century

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Cite this Entry

“Unpack.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/unpack. Accessed 9 Sep. 2025.

Kids Definition

unpack

verb
un·​pack ˌən-ˈpak How to pronounce unpack (audio)
ˈən-
1
: to separate and remove things packed
got home and unpacked
2
: to open and remove the contents of
unpack a trunk

More from Merriam-Webster on unpack

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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