become/come unstuck
idiom
1
: to stop being stuck to something
The suction cup came unstuck from the wall.
2
British, informal
: to fail
Their marriage came unstuck last summer.
Examples of become/come unstuck in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Leaders who attempt to rapidly expand their empire can quickly come unstuck.
—
Barry Collins, Forbes, 17 Feb. 2024
Even so there have been plenty of more recent instances where US nationals have come unstuck in North Korea or been held in custody, sometimes for long periods of time as US officials try to secure their release and Pyongyang looks to extract concessions.
—Brad Lendon, CNN, 19 July 2023
Some think the reign of King Charles III will see those bonds come unstuck, giving new momentum to Scotland’s push for independence.
—Jill Lawless, ajc, 12 Sep. 2022
How did the first RNA strands come unstuck without help?
—Caroline Delbert, Popular Mechanics, 29 Dec. 2020
The idea had been to peel back a few layers, behold unfamiliar vistas, and generally become unstuck in our perceptions.
—WIRED, 29 June 2023
But how does a place so steeped in diversity come unstuck?
—Aatish Taseer Richard Mosse, New York Times, 3 Nov. 2022
Now, instead of big spending cuts, Truss has promised to find savings through slashing waste and inefficiency in the public sector, though some of her plans have already come unstuck.
—Anna Cooban, CNN, 8 Aug. 2022
Pity the actors, delivering punchlines that have somehow come unstuck from their setups and are doomed to wander around hunting for them, like wailing toddlers separated from their parents at the supermarket.
—Jessica Kiang, Los Angeles Times, 2 Apr. 2022
Barry Collins, Forbes, 17 Feb. 2024
Even so there have been plenty of more recent instances where US nationals have come unstuck in North Korea or been held in custody, sometimes for long periods of time as US officials try to secure their release and Pyongyang looks to extract concessions.
—Brad Lendon, CNN, 19 July 2023
Some think the reign of King Charles III will see those bonds come unstuck, giving new momentum to Scotland’s push for independence.
—Jill Lawless, ajc, 12 Sep. 2022
How did the first RNA strands come unstuck without help?
—Caroline Delbert, Popular Mechanics, 29 Dec. 2020
The idea had been to peel back a few layers, behold unfamiliar vistas, and generally become unstuck in our perceptions.
—WIRED, 29 June 2023
But how does a place so steeped in diversity come unstuck?
—Aatish Taseer Richard Mosse, New York Times, 3 Nov. 2022
Now, instead of big spending cuts, Truss has promised to find savings through slashing waste and inefficiency in the public sector, though some of her plans have already come unstuck.
—Anna Cooban, CNN, 8 Aug. 2022
Pity the actors, delivering punchlines that have somehow come unstuck from their setups and are doomed to wander around hunting for them, like wailing toddlers separated from their parents at the supermarket.
—Jessica Kiang, Los Angeles Times, 2 Apr. 2022
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'become/come unstuck.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near become/come unstuck
Cite this Entry
“Become/come unstuck.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/become%2Fcome%20unstuck. Accessed 28 Apr. 2024.
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