to unstaple

1 7.5

Remove staples from papers

verb
/ʌnˈsteɪpəl/

: desgrampadora

He carefully unstapled the stack of papers to review the original notes.

Examples

Please unstaple all the forms before handing them in.
She unstapled the papers quickly.
After you unstaple the pages, put the staples in the recycling bin.
He carefully unstapled the documents to make photocopies.
Please unstaple these documents before filing them.
To prepare the document for copying, please unstaple all the pages.
Before recycling the waste paper, make sure to unstaple it first.

Antonyms

to staple

35 3.7

To attach papers together with a small bent metal wire

Surface Forms

unstaple infinitive

unstapled past

unstapled past participle

unstapling present participle

unstaples third person singular

Morphology

unstaple = staple (transparent) = un + staple

The negative prefix 'un-' is productively applied to the verb 'staple' to mean 'remove staples', a straightforward and regular formation.

Etymology

Unstaple is made of the prefix un-, meaning 'do the opposite', and staple, the small metal fastener you know from a stapler. So, to unstaple something is to 'remove' the staples from paper or documents.