Unstick

verb

verb ·Uncommon ·Advanced level

Definitions

Verb
  1. 1
    To free from the condition of being stuck. figuratively, sometimes, transitive

    "Add the rice and sauté until the first few grains begin to brown (about 3 minutes). Add peas, stock, and salt. Mix well and be sure to scrape the bottom of the pan to unstick any rice."

  2. 2
    To become freed from a stuck condition. intransitive

    "Starting to panic, I stepped back and put my foot right through the door. Outside, Nelson laughed. The door unstuck. I hopped on one leg as it swung outward, carrying my boot."

  3. 3
    To leave the ground during takeoff. intransitive

Synonyms

All synonyms
cast offdeadheredetachdiffusedisengagedisjoin

Example

More examples

"Add the rice and sauté until the first few grains begin to brown (about 3 minutes). Add peas, stock, and salt. Mix well and be sure to scrape the bottom of the pan to unstick any rice."

Etymology

From un- + stick.

Related phrases

come unstuck

More for "unstick"

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Data sourced from Wiktionary, WordNet, CMU, and other open linguistic databases. Updated March 2026.