unpack

verb

un·​pack ˌən-ˈpak 

unpacked; unpacking; unpacks

transitive verb

1

a

: to remove the contents of

unpack a suitcase

b

: unburden, reveal

… must … unpack my heart with words …

—William 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

Synonyms of unpack

• unload

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

And that leaves us with a lot to unpack. —Armando Salguero Outkick, FOXNews.com, 29 Apr. 2026

McMahon's first appearance on Capitol Hill in nearly a year was intended to unpack the White House proposal on education spending for the 2027 fiscal year — and gave senators a chance to take stock of McMahon's actions. —Sequoia Carrillo, NPR, 28 Apr. 2026

Arhaus will unpack, inspect, assemble, and place your furniture in the room of your choice as well as removing all packaging and debris. —Julia Harrison, Architectural Digest, 28 Apr. 2026

The conversation will unpack public figures, navigating legacy and revealing the human story behind the headlines. —Michael Schneider, Variety, 27 Apr. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

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

Rhymes for unpack

• aback
• anzac
• attack
• backpack
• backtrack
• bareback
• blackjack
• brownback
• buyback
• callback
• cognac
• comeback

Kids Definition

unpack

verb

un·​pack ˌən-ˈpak 

ˈən-

1

: to separate and remove things packed

got home and unpacked

2

: to open and remove the contents of

unpack a trunk