unpack

Everyday

1. To take things out of a bag, suitcase or box: "unpack your suitcase". tree →
2. To explain something step by step so it is easier to understand: "Let's unpack this question." tree →

In the lessons

In everyday life families unpack after a holiday or a move, and pupils unpack their school bags. In maths and English lessons, teachers ask pupils to "unpack the question": find what it tells you and what it asks. Phrases: unpack the shopping, unpack your bag, unpack the problem.

Examples

• Please unpack your bag and hang up your coat. tree →
• We unpacked the shopping and put it away. tree →
• It took a week to unpack after moving house. tree →
• Let us unpack the word problem: what do we know? tree →
• She unpacked her suitcase as soon as we got home. tree →
• Unpack the box carefully; the plates might break. tree →
• But then the rose-tree with the beautiful rose was unpacked. tree →

Note

Regular verb: unpack, unpacked. "Un-" here means the opposite action: pack, unpack. In maths, unpacking a word problem means underlining the numbers and the question before you start calculating.