to come unstuck

Examples

• All

• You think the rest of us aren't on the verge of coming unstuck?

  The Last Days on Mars (2013)

• "What does a person have to do around here to get fresh air?" she says out loud as she bangs the edges to make it come unstuck.

  Fiction book (1998)

• This is where Karateka comes unstuck.

  Blog text (17)

• Mr. Firkin knuckles the rocky bone behind his ear, but the blasted thing won't come unstuck.

  Fiction book (1990)

• However, all of this can easily unravel and come unstuck with the Internet getting into self-destruction mode if we don't do our utmost best to secure full network security.

  Blog text (1)

• The label on the jar came unstuck and fell onto the table.

• After several years, the old wallpaper began to come unstuck from the walls.

• The toy's parts can come unstuck if they are pulled apart too hard.

Synonyms

C

to come off

vsto come unstuck

131 3.5

To become loose and fall off

means the same but stresses separation from a surface or position

F

to fall off

vsto come unstuck

117 2.3

Separate from something by breaking or dropping

does not require dropping or breaking as the reason for separation

D

to disengage

vsto come unstuck

82 5.3

To stop being part of or connected to something

is about losing attachment to a surface or position not intentional release

C

to come apart

vsto come unstuck

44 3.1

To break into pieces or fall into separate parts

describes separation of a whole piece from a surface or position instead

B

to break off

vsto come unstuck

28 2.8

To make a piece come away from something by hitting or bending it

can happen without splitting, simply losing contact with a surface

B

to break loose

vsto come unstuck

23 3.8

Begin suddenly in a violent or noisy way

is normally calmer and only denotes simple separation from a surface or position

D

to detach

vsto come unstuck

16 4.0

To come apart from something it is connected to

focuses on loss of contact from a surface or position rather than cause

C

to come undone

vsto come unstuck

• Informal

9 5.3

To begin to fail, fall apart, or lose control

refers specifically to loss of attachment from a surface or position not failure

C

to come away

vsto come unstuck

2 3.0

To become loose and separate from something

is the same idea but focuses on separation from a surface or position

B

to break away

vsto come unstuck

2 3.5

To come off a larger thing, often because of force or damage

does not need force or accident to become separated from a surface

U

to unstick

vsto come unstuck

1 3.9

To come away from something it was stuck to

usually describes passive separation from a surface or position rather than active freeing

U

to unattach

vsto come unstuck

1 6.1

To separate something from what it is connected to

focuses on becoming separated rather than the act of removing something

Antonyms

F

to fasten

68 1.6

Hold something in place so it cannot move

A

to adhere

17 5.2

To stick firmly to a surface such as glass or plastic

How Detached

to detach

16 4.0

to come unstuck

1 5.8

to stick

769 1.0

to adhere

17 5.2

Surface Forms

Morphology

Etymology