to unstop
- verb
- /ʌnˈstɑp/
- He fell in love with a lady plumber who came to unstop our sink.
Examples
-
As Bernzy thinks about it, Hayward pulls a silver whisky flask from his jacket, unstops it, and drinks.
Fiction book (1992) -
The only time I'd ever seen Mrs. DiLuna was the time I'd gone over to unstop the sink.
Fiction book (1997) -
The plumber screamed when he came to unstop the commode.
Fiction book (1991) -
The plumber was called to unstop the kitchen sink after it began to overflow.
-
They had to unstop the drain to prevent water from backing up into the basement.
-
To fix the issue, he decided to unstop the pipe using a specialized tool.
Synonyms
To remove something blocking a pipe or drain so water can flow
Remove something that stops a pipe, machine, or blood vessel from working
To clear a blocked nose or ear so air can move
To free something that is stuck so it can move or work again
To remove a blockage from a pipe or drain
To remove a block so water or air can flow again
Antonyms
How Clear
Surface Forms
Morphology
unstop = stop (transparent) = un
This is a regular privative formation meaning to remove a stop or blockage.
Etymology
Unstop is made of the part un- meaning 'reverse' and the word stop meaning 'block', like in unclog or unlock, so to unstop a pipe or gutter is to remove the block and let water flow again.