Unlock Meaning
/ʌnˈlɒk/Definition, CEFR level B2, pronunciation, examples, and quiz.
Listen pronunciation
Definition
verbTo undo or open a lock or something locked by, for example, turning a key, or selecting a combination.
verbTo obtain access to something; to meet the requirements of a security or protection system.
Sentence Examples
Give me a key, and I will unlock the universe.
Tom couldn't unlock the door because he had the wrong key.
Synonyms & Antonyms
Synonyms:
None
Antonyms:
CEFR Practice Quiz
She used the key to ____ the door and entered the room.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
I had to use a specific key to ____ the ancient wooden chest that I found in my grandfather's attic today.
Word Origin & History
From Middle English unloken, unlouken, onlouken, from Old English onlūcan (“to unlock”), equivalent to un- + lock. Cognate with Dutch ontluiken (“to unlock”).
Literary Quotations & Historical Citations
"Plastics are energy-rich substances, which is why many of them burn so readily. Any organism that could unlock and use that energy would do well in the Anthropocene. Terrestrial bacteria and fungi which can manage this trick are already familiar to experts in the field."
— 2013 July 20, “Welcome to the plastisphere”, in The Economist, volume 408, number 8845:
"The combination of the new station and road improvements is expected to unlock up to 14,000 new homes, with the council saying no more than 2,500 homes can be built at Beaulieu and north east Chelmsford without the station."
— 2019 October, “Funding for 20tph East London line service”, in Modern Railways, page 18:
"Twitter has extraordinary potential. I will unlock it."
— 2022 April 14, Rupert Neate, quoting Elon Musk, “Elon Musk offers to buy Twitter for more than $40bn”, in The Guardian:
"He had come straight up without mishap or swerving off his course, and his shut teeth unlocked."
— 1912 January, Zane Grey, chapter 8, in Riders of the Purple Sage […], New York, N.Y.; London: Harper & Brothers Publishers, →OCLC:
"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.""
— 2020 May 20, Richard Clinnick, “Electrification key to decarbonisation”, in Rail, page 16:
Explore More B2 Vocabulary Words
CEFR Practice Quiz
She used the key to ____ the door and entered the room.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
I had to use a specific key to ____ the ancient wooden chest that I found in my grandfather's attic today.