unlock

9 definitions • 15 examples

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.

to discover important new facts about something and make them known to people:

unlock the mysteries A chemical has been discovered that may be the key to unlocking the mysteries of Parkinson's disease.

unlock the secrets Exploring these asteroids may help unlock the secrets of the early solar system.

He was part of a team that unlocked the human genetic blueprint.

to make it possible for something to be used well, when previously it may not have been used enough:

unlock the potential We must unlock the potential of all our people, not just some of our people.

unlock the value The company's mission is to unlock the value of images and videos produced everyday across the web and social media.

to get extra features in a computer game, for example by successfully completing a challenge:

You need to find specific artefacts to unlock almost all of the game's functions.

Sometimes living here is like playing an adventure game - every problem solved unlocks two new quests.

to make the imagination more active, producing interesting ideas and images:

One of poetry's functions is to unlock the imagination.

to open a lock using a key, an electronic device, or a series of numbers or letters:

Could you unlock the door for me?

to make something available to be used in order to increase its value or to make a profit from it:

If we do not unlock the value of this business, someone else will.

The demerger will unlock shareholder value by allowing the two companies to be valued separately.

Equity release schemes are a safe and straightforward way of unlocking the cash from your home.