uncork

U1N1C3O1R1K5
/ʌnˈkɔː(ɹ)k/

verb

To open (a bottle or other container sealed with a cork or stopper) by removing the cork or stopper from.

“uncork a bottle of wine”

Opposite
cork
RareScrabble 12
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Meanings

verbuncork (third-person singular simple present uncorks, present participle uncorking, simple past and past participle uncorked)

present singular third person uncorks · participle present uncorking · participle past uncorked · past uncorked

  1. transitiveTo open (a bottle or other container sealed with a cork or stopper) by removing the cork or stopper from.

    uncork a bottle of wine

    1 more example

    After Compiègne, André uncorked a bottle of his Vin Rosé which went down uncommonly well and we reached Aulnoye without further incident.

    1961 March, ""Dalmore"", “Driving and firing modern French steam locomotives”, in Trains Illustrated, pages 150–151
  2. transitiveTo release.

    The 11 September attacks uncorked a whirlwind of outlandish conspiracy theories.

    2002, The Middle East, numbers 319-329, page 10
    1 more example

    In Chile in 2017, for example, historic rains uncorked a gargantuan landslide near a receding glacier.

    2026 February 27, Paul Salopek, “Hazard Cascade”, in National Geographic

Synonyms & antonyms

verbdraw the cork from (bottles)

Opposite
cork
Broader
openopen up

Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.

Origin

From un- + cork.

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Bulgarian отпушвам
  • отпушвам (otpušvam)to open by removing the cork or stopper from
Dutch ontkurken
  • ontkurkento open by removing the cork or stopper from
Estonian malŝtopi
  • malŝtopito open by removing the cork or stopper from
Finnish korkata, päästää valloilleen
  • korkatato open by removing the cork or stopper from
  • päästää valloilleento release a force
  • riuhtaistato make a strong throw
French déboucher
  • déboucherto open by removing the cork or stopper from
German entkorken
  • entkorkento open by removing the cork or stopper from
Italian stappare
  • stappareto open by removing the cork or stopper from
Portuguese desarrolhar
  • desarrolharto open by removing the cork or stopper from
Romanian destupa
  • destupato open by removing the cork or stopper from
Russian отку́поривать, отку́порить
  • отку́поривать (otkúporivatʹ)to open by removing the cork or stopper from
  • отку́порить (otkúporitʹ)to open by removing the cork or stopper from
Slovak odzátkovať
  • odzátkovaťto open by removing the cork or stopper from
Spanish descorchar
  • descorcharto open by removing the cork or stopper from
Swedish korka upp
  • korka uppto open by removing the cork or stopper from
Ukrainian відкорко́вувати, відкоркува́ти
  • відкорко́вувати (vidkorkóvuvaty)to open by removing the cork or stopper from
  • відкоркува́ти (vidkorkuváty)to open by removing the cork or stopper from

Rhymes & wordplay

Rhymes with uncork

yorkcorktorquequarkstorksporkwarkchorkhoarkhorkjorkknorkrecorksnork
All rhymes →
Cite this entry
APA

uncork. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/uncork

MLA

“uncork.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/uncork. Accessed November 2, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “uncork,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/uncork.

Source: uncork on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.