as in to unleash
to set free (from a state of being held in check)
that last insult unlocked her tongue, and she finally said what she really thought
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of unlock
New data shows how shifting your travel dates by just a few days could unlock significant savings on trips to places like Tokyo and Rome.
—
Lauren Dana Ellman, Travel + Leisure, 12 June 2026
And dialing the Bentley into Sport mode unlocks virtually all the performance gains over standard models.
—Lawrence Ulrich, Robb Report, 12 June 2026
Read Alliance is the kind of experience that unlocks doors to a future where purpose, fulfillment, and leadership can be front and center.
—Read Alliance, Forbes.com, 12 June 2026
Keeping your car in the green earns more points, unlocking more cars and levels.
—Zackery Cuevas, PC Magazine, 12 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for unlock
Lauren Dana Ellman, Travel + Leisure, 12 June 2026
And dialing the Bentley into Sport mode unlocks virtually all the performance gains over standard models.
—Lawrence Ulrich, Robb Report, 12 June 2026
Read Alliance is the kind of experience that unlocks doors to a future where purpose, fulfillment, and leadership can be front and center.
—Read Alliance, Forbes.com, 12 June 2026
Keeping your car in the green earns more points, unlocking more cars and levels.
—Zackery Cuevas, PC Magazine, 12 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for unlock
Recent Examples of Synonyms for unlock
Verb
-
The intensity increased stepwise until, with nine Valkyries singing at full force, Dudamel unleashed a climactic storm of sound.—
Alex Ross,
New Yorker,
15 June 2026
-
Directed by action veteran Kenji Tanigaki and produced by Bill Kong, the martial arts showcase stars Xie Miao as Wang Wei, an ordinary man who unleashes a relentless rampage against a powerful child trafficking syndicate after his daughter is kidnapped.—
Naman Ramachandran,
Variety,
15 June 2026
Verb
-
Start by flushing the drain with hot water to help loosen grease and minor buildup.—
Jessica Safavimehr,
Southern Living,
10 June 2026
-
In 2020, the rules were further loosened so that players can change in some contexts after that age.—
Laurent Dubois,
The Conversation,
10 June 2026
Verb
-
The videos, released by the Hostages and Missing Families Forum on Thursday, provide a glimpse into the life of the hostages during their captivity.—
Dana Karni,
CNN Money,
12 Dec. 2025
-
When the first skydiver emerged, a handle securing their reserve chute got caught on the plane’s flap over the wing, prompting the chute to deploy inadvertently, according to a video and a report about the incident released Thursday by the Australian Transport Safety Bureau.—
Mithil Aggarwal,
NBC news,
12 Dec. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Unlock.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/unlock. Accessed 18 Jun. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
