unlockverb [ T ]
uk/ʌnˈlɒk/us/ʌnˈlɑːk/B2 to open something, especially a door that is locked (= fastened with a lock) using a key or an electronic device:
I think I left the garage door unlocked.
to enter a password or number in order to be able to use a mobile phone:
You need to know the secret PIN to unlock your mobile phone upon power up.
to make a mobile phone able to be used on any mobile phone network:
Once your phone is unlocked, you can buy and change SIM cards as you travel.
unlock the mystery/secret of sth
to discover important new facts about something:
A chemical has been discovered that may be the key to unlocking the mysteries of Parkinson's disease.
unlock the imagination
to make the imagination more active, producing interesting ideas and images:
One of poetry's functions is to unlock the imagination.
More examples
- Having my car stolen really taught me a lesson - I'll never leave it unlocked again.
- Leaving your house unlocked is an open invitation to burglars.
Thesaurus: synonyms and related words
Unfastening and opening
- breaker
- crack
- let/set sth loose idiom
- loose
- loosen
- loosen your grip idiom
- open sb up
- pay (sth) out
- steam
- the earth/ground/floor opens idiom
- throw
- unbuckle
- uncap
- uncork
- undid
- unplug
- unroll
- unscrew
- untie
- unwind
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You can also find related words, phrases, and synonyms in the topics:
Finding and discovering
Affecting and influencing