unscramble

verb

un·​scram·​ble ˌən-ˈskram-bəl How to pronounce unscramble (audio)
unscrambled; unscrambling; unscrambles

transitive verb

1
: to separate (something, such as a conglomeration or tangle) into original components : resolve, clarify
2
: to restore (scrambled communication) to intelligible form
unscrambler noun

Examples of unscramble in a Sentence

We weren't able to unscramble the satellite signal. Unscramble the letters ALCEDNRA to spell “CALENDAR.”
Recent Examples on the Web Eventually, as a result of investigations in several cities, at least six top mob bosses were convicted, and prosecutors here and in Kansas City unscrambled pieces of the nationwide puzzle of crime. Mary Zahn and Bill Janz, Journal Sentinel, 17 Jan. 2024 Next, the participants had 20 minutes to unscramble as many words as possible from four sets of seven anagrams displayed on a computer screen. Katie Mogg, NBC News, 4 Nov. 2023 Each puzzle asked the user to unscramble a word and then type the answer into the search bar to solve the exercise and move onto the next puzzle. Kyle Denis, Billboard, 20 Sep. 2023 Are backup copies of your messages automatically encrypted, with no option for the app company to unscramble them? Shira Ovide, Washington Post, 22 Aug. 2023 At one such event in 2018, the then-relatively-unknown Chinese competitor Yusheng Du unscrambled a 3x3x3 cube in just 3.47 seconds. Jane Starr Drinkard, WSJ, 9 Mar. 2023 Ransomware attacks, in which cybercriminals encrypt an organization's data and then demand payment to unscramble it, are a growing scourge in the U.S. CBS News, 18 Oct. 2021 The explosion in the last year of ransomware, in which cyber criminals encrypt an organization's data and then demand payment to unscramble it, has underscored how gangs of extortionist hackers can disrupt the economy and put lives and livelihoods at risk. Alan Suderman, ajc, 11 Oct. 2021 Similar jumps occurred for other tasks including decoding the International Phonetic Alphabet, unscrambling a word’s letters, identifying offensive content in paragraphs of Hinglish (a combination of Hindi and English), and generating a similar English equivalent of Kiswahili proverbs. Stephen Ornes, Quanta Magazine, 16 Mar. 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'unscramble.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

circa 1920, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of unscramble was circa 1920

Dictionary Entries Near unscramble

Cite this Entry

“Unscramble.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/unscramble. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

unscramble

verb
un·​scram·​ble ˌən-ˈskram-bəl How to pronounce unscramble (audio)
ˈən-
: to make orderly or clear again
trying to unscramble a mix-up with the test scores
unscramble a radio message

More from Merriam-Webster on unscramble

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!