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

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, 9 Apr. 2026

From defining a brand identity and building front offices to engaging communities and driving early fan adoption, this conversation will unpack the strategic and operational decisions that shape a franchise’s trajectory. —Sportico Staff, Sportico.com, 9 Apr. 2026

Her first psychological thriller was the 2014 best-seller Dead Med, which follows a med student unpacking the tragic and mysterious deaths of her classmates. —Emily Tannenbaum, Glamour, 9 Apr. 2026

His comment leaves a lot to unpack for an energy analyst. —Stephen Clark, ArsTechnica, 9 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