Words / A2

un-LOK/ˌʌnˈlɒk/

Unlock means open a lock with a key or a code: unlock the door, unlock your phone, unlock a bike. Lock is the opposite. Open is wider (a door can be unlocked but still closed). Undo is unfasten, not usually a lock. Do not write unlock when you mean unload, or o’clock.

Meaning

To open a lock with a key or a code.

Examples

• “Unlock the back door for the delivery.”
• “Unlock the side gate for the gardener.”
• “I cannot unlock my phone — I have forgotten the PIN.”

Good to know

unlock the door / phone. Opposite: lock. Wider: open. Mix-up: unload.

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