unscrew

verb

un·​screw ˌən-ˈskrü 

unscrewed; unscrewing; unscrews

transitive verb

1

: to draw the screws from

2

: to loosen or withdraw by turning

intransitive verb

: to become or admit of being unscrewed

The lid unscrews easily.

Examples of unscrew in a Sentence

I unscrewed the jar lid.

You'll need to unscrew the cover before you remove it.

Recent Examples on the Web

In autonomous tests, the robot unscrews bottle caps, extracts individual pills from organizers despite occlusion, dispenses precise syringe volumes under variable resistance, and selects small metal parts from cluttered containers. —Jijo Malayil, Interesting Engineering, 28 Jan. 2026

But, one quick fix is unscrewing it and tapping the lotion into your hand. —Rylee Johnston, PEOPLE, 8 Jan. 2026

If there is still gas in the mower, drain it or unscrew the cap, place a plastic sandwich bag over the opening, and replace the cap to keep the gas from leaking. —Karen Brewer Grossman, Southern Living, 5 Jan. 2026

For some reason, the idea of bone-on-bone, unscrewing the top of my skull was an intrusive thought that disturbed me for days. —Ethan Shanfeld, Variety, 12 Dec. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1605, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Rhymes for unscrew

• accrue
• ado
• ainu
• aircrew
• airscrew
• anew
• askew
• baboo
• babu
• bamboo
• beaucoup
• bijou

Kids Definition

unscrew

verb

un·​screw ˌən-ˈskrü 

ˈən-

1

: to remove the screws from

2

: to loosen or withdraw by turning

unscrew a lightbulb