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.
Ciba’s most useful shift is to unseal Williams from biography’s glass case. — Literary Hub, 26 June 2026 The federal indictment was filed on April 15 and unsealed on June 23, prosecutors said. — Sara Tenenbaum, CBS News, 1 July 2026 Some of the individuals charged in the indictment unsealed Wednesday were inmates at prisons around the country and used cellphones to schedule drops at various prisons. — Luke Barr, ABC News, 25 June 2026 In response to a request from the Statesman late last year, the North Idaho district court judge appointed to review and approve the defense’s spending for the criminal case ordered that at least some of the financial documents be unsealed. — Kevin Fixler june 26, Idaho Statesman, 26 June 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

Rhymes for unseal

See All Rhymes for unseal

Browse Nearby Words

unscrupulousness
unseal
unsealed
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Unseal.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/unseal. Accessed 7 Jul. 2026.

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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

Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for unseal

Nglish: Translation of unseal for Spanish Speakers

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