as in unleashing
to set free (from a state of being held in check)
that last insult unlocked her tongue, and she finally said what she really thought
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Recent Examples of unlocking
Williams started to walk toward his van, unlocking it from a distance with a key fob, the suit states.
—
Caroline Zimmerman, Kansas City Star, 2 Apr. 2026
For more than a century, an American birth certificate has been a key to unlocking the benefits of American citizenship.
—Devin Dwyer, ABC News, 1 Apr. 2026
Jack has a strong instinct for navigating that complexity and unlocking value in a tougher market.
—Zac Ntim, Deadline, 1 Apr. 2026
The new system addresses these challenges by transmitting data through light, unlocking significantly higher bandwidth.
—Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 31 Mar. 2026
Some analysts believe the country has a role to play in unlocking supply to the wider market.
—Joseph Wilkins, CNBC, 30 Mar. 2026
Activate Your Kalshi Promo Code NEWSWEEK Offer Getting started and unlocking your bonus is a fast and straightforward process.
—Tyler Everett, MSNBC Newsweek, 30 Mar. 2026
The $699 model bumps the storage to a more respectable 512 GB and adds Touch ID for unlocking the Neo, handling credential passkeys and making purchases.
—Dwight Silverman, Houston Chronicle, 28 Mar. 2026
For Simmonds, the key to unlocking the character came from her choreographer, who pulled her aside during training and told her to stop following the other dancers.
—Kennedy French, Variety, 25 Mar. 2026
Caroline Zimmerman, Kansas City Star, 2 Apr. 2026
For more than a century, an American birth certificate has been a key to unlocking the benefits of American citizenship.
—Devin Dwyer, ABC News, 1 Apr. 2026
Jack has a strong instinct for navigating that complexity and unlocking value in a tougher market.
—Zac Ntim, Deadline, 1 Apr. 2026
The new system addresses these challenges by transmitting data through light, unlocking significantly higher bandwidth.
—Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 31 Mar. 2026
Some analysts believe the country has a role to play in unlocking supply to the wider market.
—Joseph Wilkins, CNBC, 30 Mar. 2026
Activate Your Kalshi Promo Code NEWSWEEK Offer Getting started and unlocking your bonus is a fast and straightforward process.
—Tyler Everett, MSNBC Newsweek, 30 Mar. 2026
The $699 model bumps the storage to a more respectable 512 GB and adds Touch ID for unlocking the Neo, handling credential passkeys and making purchases.
—Dwight Silverman, Houston Chronicle, 28 Mar. 2026
For Simmonds, the key to unlocking the character came from her choreographer, who pulled her aside during training and told her to stop following the other dancers.
—Kennedy French, Variety, 25 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for unlocking
Verb
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Oil prices have surged since the United States and Israel struck Iran at the end of February, unleashing a war that has run for more than a month and effectively closed the key shipping artery.—
Cybele Mayes-Osterman,
USA Today,
4 Apr. 2026
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That means unleashing natural gas and oil and nuclear and coal and reversing the green energy failures of the last administration.—
Rachel Schilke,
The Washington Examiner,
29 Mar. 2026
Verb
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That’s when something tightened, a brief, instinctual clam-closing and then loosening again just as fast.—
Dawn Lerman,
Los Angeles Times,
20 Mar. 2026
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Lawmakers will debate bills related to loosening gun regulations at colleges in at least eight states this year, including Florida, Louisiana, New Hampshire, South Carolina, South Dakota, Utah, Virginia and Wyoming.—
Alexandra Koch,
FOXNews.com,
18 Mar. 2026
Verb
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So, while the video might look dramatic, having an emotional reaction after releasing physical tension is natural, said Watrous, who was not involved in Rimes' treatment.—
Sara Moniuszko,
USA Today,
1 Apr. 2026
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The data comes as Japan grapples with the fallout from the Iran war, with the country releasing oil stockpiles and enacting fuel subsidies to stave off the worst of the energy shock from the closed Strait of Hormuz.—
Lim Hui Jie,
CNBC,
1 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Unlocking.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/unlocking. Accessed 6 Apr. 2026.
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