unseal

verb

un·​seal ˌən-ˈsēl 

unsealed; unsealing; unseals

transitive verb

: to break or remove the seal of : open

Examples of unseal in a Sentence

The court unsealed the documents in the Douglas trial today.

Recent Examples on the Web

The panel’s decision was among court documents unsealed this week. — Susan Svrluga, Washington Post, 2 Oct. 2026

Grand jury proceedings are secret, but if an indictment is returned, it’s generally unsealed when prosecutors bring the defendant into court for arraignment. — Nancy Dillon, Rolling Stone, 29 Sep. 2026

The complaint was unsealed after Van made his initial appearance in federal court in Los Angeles on Thursday. — Kansas City Star, 25 Sep. 2026

Tuesday's session began with Chief Justice Luiz Edson Fachin reading the federal police report unsealed by Mendonca last week. — Mauricio Savarese, Arkansas Online, 16 Sep. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

12th century, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for unseal

• abele
• alkyl
• anneal
• appeal
• cartwheel
• conceal
• congeal
• coquille
• corneal
• cornmeal
• flywheel
• genteel

Kids Definition

unseal

verb

un·​seal ˌən-ˈsē(ə)l 

ˈən-

: to break or remove the seal of