unscrew

present singular third person unscrews · participle present unscrewing · participle past unscrewed · past unscrewed

1. transitiveTo loosen a screw or thing by turning it.

   I'm having some trouble unscrewing the lid of this jar.

   4 more examples

   It requires opening a complex lock with a key that also unscrews a bolt six inches long. Unscrewing the bolt itself takes six minutes.

   1984 May 31, Joseph Giovannini, “THE ENDURING FASCINATION OF SECRET PLACES”, in The New York Times

   A young orangutan in the San Diego Zoo became famous for unbolting the screening of his crib, removing the wires, and moving through the zoo nursery, unscrewing lightbulbs.

   2003 June 7, Edward Tenner, “'Our Own Devices'”, in The New York Times

   Ms. Van Son unscrewed the pump’s handle and shoved it into her bra.

   2018 December 31, Natalie Kitroeff, “‘A Pumping Conspiracy’: Why Workers Smuggled Breast Pumps Into Prison”, in The New York Times

   The challenge is how to unscrew the cap with a roundhouse kick without knocking the bottle over.

   2019 March 7, Mariel Padilla and Derrick Bryson Taylor, “The Bottle Cap Challenge Spins On, Helped by Cars, Sandals and Mariah Carey”, in The New York Times