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

Rockett, who would return to his own apartment later, took a seat while Gray unpacked the groceries. —Dan Horn, Cincinnati Enquirer, 9 Nov. 2025

In tandem with the Danish Film Institute and Denmark’s embassy, Frame will unpack the Nordic production-financing model and dissect recent co-production workflows. —Emiliano De Pablos, Variety, 7 Nov. 2025

Nothing is worse than unpacking your suitcase and seeing that your overpriced moisturizer has spilled onto your favorite sweater—avoid that kind of mess with the Crush Toiletry Bag, available in several fun shades. —Caroline Hughes, Travel + Leisure, 5 Nov. 2025

There’s so much to unpack here. —Tom Smyth, Vulture, 5 Nov. 2025

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