verb
unpack
uhn-PAK
verb
1
To take items out of a suitcase, box, or other container.
"She unpacked her suitcase as soon as she got to the hotel."
"It took the movers all afternoon to unpack the boxes."
2
To break down a complicated idea or statement into simpler parts to understand it.
"Let's unpack what the professor meant by that last comment."
How to Use Unpack
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishTaking things out of a container, or breaking a complex idea down piece by piece.
Common pairings
unpack a suitcase
unpack an idea
unpack the meaning
Word Forms
unpacked past tense, unpacks singular
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Etymology
From Middle English unpakken, from un- + pack.