unpack

verb

un·​pack ˌən-ˈpak 

unpacked; unpacking; unpacks

transitive verb

1

a

: to remove the contents of

unpack a suitcase

b

: unburden, reveal

must … unpack my heart with words

—William Shakespeare

2

: to remove or undo from packing or a container

unpacked his gear

3

: to analyze the nature of by examining in detail : explicate

unpack a concept

4

: decompress sense 2

unpack a compressed file

intransitive verb

: to engage in unpacking a container

unpacker noun

Synonyms

• disburden
• discharge
• disencumber
• off-load
• unburden
• unlade
• unload

Examples of unpack in a Sentence

It's been a year since I moved here and I still haven't unpacked all of my books.

I unpacked my suitcase as soon as I arrived home.

By the time we got to the hotel, I was too tired to unpack.

She's good at unpacking complex concepts.

Recent Examples on the Web

Belmonte unpacked the backstory to his new project. —Stewart Clarke, Deadline, 14 Jan. 2025

Why Megyn Kelly is mad at Conclave There is a lot to unpack about Conclave. —Alex Abad-Santos, Vox, 12 Jan. 2025

This true-crime series unpacks the 1990 robbery of Boston’s Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum by two men who posed as cops to con their way into stealing a fortune. —Sara Netzley, EW.com, 8 Jan. 2025

There’s going to be a lot to unpack emotionally but also [an] exciting medical mystery and this two-hander, odd couple dynamic between Wolf and his dad, who might even be moving in with Wolf. —Kimberly Roots, TVLine, 6 Jan. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1a

Kids Definition

unpack

verb

un·​pack ˌən-ˈpak 

ˈən-

1

: to separate and remove things packed

got home and unpacked

2

: to open and remove the contents of

unpack a trunk