unlock
English · Thesaurus
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Written by a house AI from the entry below, in your language. The entry itself is the source.
unlock
- /ʌnˈlɒk/ UK
- /ʌnˈlɔk/ British, Scotland, Southern
- /ʊnˈlɒk/ Northern England
- /ʌnˈlɑk/ US
- /ɐnˈlɔk/ Australia
- /ɐnˈlɒk/ New Zealand
- [ɐnˈlɔ̟k] New Zealand
Rhymes with -ɒk
Where it comes from
From Middle English unloken, unlouken, onlouken, from Old English onlūcan (“to unlock”), equivalent to un- + lock. Cognate with Dutch ontluiken (“to unlock”).
verb unlocks · unlocking · unlocked
- To undo or open a lock or something locked by, for example, turning a key, or selecting a combination. I unlocked the door and walked in.
- To obtain access to something; to meet the requirements of a security or protection system. I unlocked the dictionary article so I could edit it.
- To configure (a mobile phone) so that it is not bound to any particular carrier.
- To disclose or reveal previously unknown knowledge or potential. The discovery of a clue unlocked the mystery.
- To be or become unfastened or unrestrained. He had come straight up without mishap or swerving off his course, and his shut teeth unlocked.
- To make available. He also warned of the supply chain issues, stating: "Don't pretend you're going to unlock half a dozen [electrification] schemes simultaneously because you'll probably flood the supply chain, we don't have the capacity."
- To undermine something that has control over a situation; to find a way to counter or oppose. Saka's cross unlocked a well-organised Ukraine defence for Kane to pounce and set England on their way before producing a superb piece of individual skill to effectively end the contest.
noun unlocks
- The act of unlocking something. Unlike modern, automated prisons, each cell here was locked and unlocked manually with a large skeleton key. The first duty was to get a proper head count of each inmate, insuring each was alive. Once done, an unlock was conducted.
-
An initially hidden feature that is made available to reward the player for some achievement.
The other unlocks, like a grenade launcher or a sniper's steady ability, didn't fit into my playstyle.
Similar: unlockable
Thesaurus
Closest in meaning: unsecured, unbarred, unbolted, unfastened, unlatched, unblocking, unblock, uncover, unveil, unlatch, extricate, unleash, releasing, release, disconnect, liberating
Translations
Every language
verb to undo or open a lock
| Español | abrir, abrir con llave, desatrancar, desbloquear, descandar, desacerrojar |
|---|---|
| 한국어 | 열다 yeolda, 풀다 pulda |
| 日本語 | 開ける akeru, 解錠する kaijou suru, 解除する kaijo suru, 錠をあける jō o akeru, 鍵をあける kagi o akeru, 解く toku |
| 中文 | 開鎖 /开锁 kāisuǒ, 解鎖 /解锁 jiěsuǒ |
| हिन्दी | ताला खोलना tālā kholnā |
| Português | destrancar |
| Français | déverrouiller |
| Deutsch | aufschließen, entriegeln |
| Italiano | aprire |
| Ελληνικά | ξεκλειδώνω xekleidóno |
| Română | descuia |
| Русский | отпира́ть otpirátʹ, отпере́ть otperétʹ |
| Tiếng Việt | mở khóa |
| עברית | פתח patákh |
verb give access to something
| Español | desbloquear |
|---|---|
| Português | desbloquear, destravar |
| Français | déverrouiller, débloquer |
| Deutsch | freischalten |
| Italiano | sbloccare, desbloquear |
| Română | debloca |
Talk about this word "unlock." Wiktionary, via Micwyn, micwyn.com/word/unlock. Accessed 6 Nov. 2026. unlock. (n.d.). In Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Retrieved November 6, 2026, from https://micwyn.com/word/unlock "unlock." Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Accessed November 6, 2026. https://micwyn.com/word/unlock.Cite this
@misc{unlock_2026,
title = {unlock},
howpublished = {Wiktionary, via Micwyn},
year = {2026},
url = {https://micwyn.com/word/unlock},
urldate = {2026-11-06}
}
