unmask

verb

un·​mask ˌən-ˈmask 

unmasked; unmasking; unmasks

transitive verb

1

: to reveal the true nature of : expose

2

: to remove a mask from

intransitive verb

: to remove one's mask

Synonyms

• bare
• disclose
• discover
• divulge
• expose
• let on (about)
• reveal
• spill
• tell
• unbosom
• uncloak
• uncover
• unveil

Examples of unmask in a Sentence

He was unmasked as a spy.

the killer's identity won't be unmasked until the season's final episode

Recent Examples on the Web

Daveed Diggs, Miguel and Frank Ocean came up as possibilities for Wasp. After the studio audience and the panel voted for their favorite performance of the night, Cannon, 44, revealed that Chess Piece received the fewest votes and would unmask. —Dana Rose Falcone, People.com, 24 Oct. 2024

Over Bitcoin's 15-year history, similar attempts to unmask Satoshi have been met with fierce backlash. —Andrew R. Chow, TIME, 9 Oct. 2024

Since the early 1990s, people have used doxing as a toxic way to strike digital revenge—stripping away someone’s anonymity by unmasking their identity online. —Matt Burgess, WIRED, 7 Aug. 2024

When Ice King unmasked, he was revealed to be former Nickelodeon child star Drake Bell, who shared his story of childhood abuse on the explosive docuseries Quiet on Set earlier this year. —Lauren Huff, EW.com, 21 Nov. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1562, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense

Kids Definition

unmask

verb

un·​mask ˌən-ˈmask 

ˈən-

: to strip of a mask or a disguise : expose

unmask a traitor