unseal

verb

un·​seal ˌən-ˈsēl How to pronounce unseal (audio)
unsealed; unsealing; unseals
Synonyms of unsealnext

transitive verb

: to break or remove the seal of : open

Examples of unseal in a Sentence

The court unsealed the documents in the Douglas trial today.
Recent Examples on the Web
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.
Rapper Gucci Mane was the victim of a kidnapping and robbery plot by a rapper signed to Mane's label earlier this year, the Department of Justice alleged in a criminal complaint unsealed Thursday. Doha Madani, NBC news, 2 Apr. 2026 Federal officials who unsealed the charges Thursday described them as brazen efforts to commit fraud at several facilities across the region. Richard Winton, Los Angeles Times, 2 Apr. 2026 The indictment was filed in June 2025, but only unsealed three months ago. Nate Gartrell, Mercury News, 30 Mar. 2026 The case has now been unsealed. Ciara McCarthy, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 30 Mar. 2026 See All Example Sentences for unseal

Word History

First Known Use

12th century, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of unseal was in the 12th century

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Unseal.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/unseal. Accessed 6 Apr. 2026.

Kids Definition

unseal

verb
un·​seal ˌən-ˈsē(ə)l How to pronounce unseal (audio)
ˈən-
: to break or remove the seal of

More from Merriam-Webster on unseal

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster