Synonyms of unlocking

unlocking

verb

present participle of unlock

as in unleashing

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

• unleashing
• loosening
• releasing
• expressing
• letting go
• loosing
• uncorking
• unloosing
• freeing
• liberating
• unloosening
• emancipating
• enfranchising
• springing
• airing
• unshackling
• unchaining
• discharging
• unfettering
• unbinding
• manumitting
• unmooring
• uncaging
• venting
• taking out

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• controlling
• holding
• containing
• checking
• inhibiting
• regulating
• governing
• restraining
• curbing
• constraining
• taming
• smothering
• reining (in)
• handcuffing
• confining
• binding
• bridling
• shackling
• hampering
• manacling
• trammeling
• fettering
• enchaining
• haltering

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of unlocking

Progression is the sense that the user is changing, growing or unlocking something over time. — Michal Rahamim, Forbes.com, 16 Sep. 2026

There’s much jargon-y talk of unlocking freedom and earning potential, repeated with dead-eyed belief by Marshall’s protégés, some with more persuasive swagger than others. — Guy Lodge, Variety, 15 Sep. 2026

The training data may be the key to unlocking them, but the point is that increasingly capable models are being developed outside the controls or risk management frameworks of any one regulatable entity (like Anthropic or OpenAI). — Zev Fima, CNBC, 14 Sep. 2026

Given how shaky the defence looks, unlocking the attack will surely be the key in the derby. — Cerys Jones, New York Times, 13 Sep. 2026

Dora the Explorer Across eight increasingly adventurous seasons, Dora the Explorer taught us that active participation was not only cool but often the key to unlocking life’s great secrets. — Declan Gallagher, Entertainment Weekly, 10 Sep. 2026

Albeit a tasty pastry, the polenta cake was overshadowed by the sherbet, bringing me back for spoon after spoon, each little taste unlocking a new world of tomato flavor. — Lyndsay C. Green, Freep.com, 10 Sep. 2026

Here are our top tips for unlocking affordable airfares through the end of the year. — Jessica Puckett, Condé Nast Traveler, 4 Sep. 2026

For critics, the carts are running amok, parking illegally, worsening congestion and unlocking another level of overtourism. — ABC News, 4 Sep. 2026