UNLOCK Synonyms: 49 Similar and Opposite Words

unlock

verb

ˌən-ˈläk

Definition of unlock

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 In addition, officials added a second pool of reserves, which will be unlocked at a second, higher price threshold. — John Moritz, Hartford Courant, 18 Aug. 2026 Perhaps most important, the Pentagon must do more to unlock its teams’ latent potential. — Doug Beck, Foreign Affairs, 18 Aug. 2026 The Fairphone Gen 6+ is fully unlocked with support for T-Mobile and AT&T in the US. — Ryan Whitwam, ArsTechnica, 18 Aug. 2026 Advertisement Wang believed Joyoung’s experience could unlock the company’s potential. — Charlie Campbell, Time, 18 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for unlock

Recent Examples of Synonyms for unlock

Verb

The Quakes again unleashed another shot on target in minute 12 when Jack Jasinski received a pass in the box and belted an attempt for the far post to force a kick save from Marcinkowski.

— Mercury News, Mercury News, 20 Aug. 2026
John Gruber, a tech blogger, posited that Claude would now more readily default to watermarked words, rather than unleash the full scope of its linguistic range, which might result in lower-quality text, or in some cases unusable prose.

— Brady Brickner-Wood, New Yorker, 19 Aug. 2026

Definition of unleash

Verb

New chairman Kevin Warsh has suggested tightening at the long end of the yield curve—the very thing Bessent is now trying to loosen—helps the Fed read market signals.

— Eleanor Pringle, Fortune, 21 Aug. 2026
So will a flood of 401(k) money, thanks to loosening rules about what investments belong in Americans’ retirement accounts.

— Liz Hoffman, semafor.com, 20 Aug. 2026

Definition of loosen

Verb

The team has appeared comfortable all offseason — after re-signing Singleton and Strnad in free agency and releasing fellow veteran Dre Greenlaw — relying on this young, developing cast to fill the depth positions.

— Nick Kosmider, New York Times, 18 Aug. 2026
The district has released a set of maps, outlining the potential changes.

— James Taylor, CBS News, 18 Aug. 2026

Definition of release

Browse Nearby Words

unloads

unlock

unlocked

See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

Style

“Unlock.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/unlock. Accessed 25 Aug. 2026.

Copy Citation

Synonyms of unlock

verb

Example Sentences

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

More from Merriam-Webster on unlock

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

tilde

Popular in Grammar & Usage

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

How to Pronounce the Trickiest Menu Items

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

Popular in Wordplay

Words from the 'Odyssey'

The Longest Long Words List

Even More Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

The Words of the Week - Aug. 21

16 Glee-ridden Words from Schitt's Creek

Popular

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

Words from the 'Odyssey'

The Longest Long Words List

Games & Quizzes