Word forms: 3rd person singular presenttense unearths, present participle unearthing, past tense, past participle unearthed
1. verb
If someone unearths facts or evidence about something bad, they discover them with difficulty, usually because they were being kept secret or were being lied about.
Researchers have unearthed documents linking her to the forced adoption of children. [VERB noun]
The frauds have been unearthed by investigators working for the Health Authority. [VERB noun]
...the unearthing of a plot to assassinate the President. [VERB-ing]
2. verb
If someone unearths something that is buried, they find it by digging in the ground.
Fossil hunters have unearthed the bones of an elephant believed to be 500,000 yearsold. [VERB noun]
...saying that the treasure had been unearthed on his property.
More human remains have been unearthed in the north.
Synonyms: dig up, excavate, exhume, dredge up [informal] More Synonyms of unearth
3. verb
If you say that someone has unearthed something, you mean that they have found it after it had been hidden or lost for some time.
From somewhere, he had unearthed a black silk suit. [VERB noun]
She has unearthed a collection of original posters designed for Biba. [VERB noun]
...his reputation for unearthing talent from the most unlikely sources. [VERB noun]
More Synonyms of unearth
unearth in British English
(ʌnˈɜːθ)
verb(transitive)
1.
to dig up out of the earth
2.
to reveal or discover, esp by exhaustive searching
unearth in American English
(ʌnˈɜrθ)
verb transitive
1.
to dig up from out of the earth
2.
to bring to light as by searching; discover; disclose
SIMILAR WORDS: learn
Examples of 'unearth' in a sentence
unearth
Until a dark secret is unearthed that sends the romance plummeting out into orbit, that is.
The Sun (2016)
Now modern science has unearthed archaeological evidence of where he accomplished this feat.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
But he gets more than he bargained for when his photographic evidence unearths a surprisingly saucy affair.
The Sun (2013)
These new advances unearth secrets from old bones.
Times, Sunday Times (2015)
Could he also unearth their terrible secret?
The Sun (2016)
But all she does is unearth another family secret.
The Sun (2015)
Dig deeper and you will unearth glittering treasure.
Times, Sunday Times (2012)
Join the surreal comedy team as they unearth the secrets and taboos of life and death in a series of sketches.
The Sun (2015)
And more secrets are unearthed tonight.
Times, Sunday Times (2014)
These inquiries unearthed disturbing evidence about the safety record of the Chinook and its computer systems.
Times, Sunday Times (2011)
One has to merely grub in the back garden to unearth treasures '.
The Times Literary Supplement (2013)
Now they are being evicted, and officials say many treasures will be unearthed.
Times, Sunday Times (2007)
If the show was primarily an archaeological dig, the treasures unearthed were real enough.
Times, Sunday Times (2008)
This makes them incredibly rich, but also worried that somebody else is going to unearth their secret.
Times, Sunday Times (2008)
Family lawyers warn that the chef's lawsuit could end the practice by spouses of turning detective to unearth evidence.
Times, Sunday Times (2010)
A London car dealer unearths secret government files during a robbery.
The Sun (2009)
I unearth new treasures each time, at shoestring prices.
Times, Sunday Times (2015)
Investigations unearthed evidence of corruption, bribery and kickbacks that horrified the public, politicians and sponsors.
Times, Sunday Times (2010)
You become an archaeologist in your own special dig, unearthing long-forgotten treasures.
Times, Sunday Times (2009)
We counted 12, all providing a good chance of unearthing buried treasure.
Times, Sunday Times (2008)
The final mystery of Viking treasure unearthed by a metal detector has been solved with the help of x-ray.
Times, Sunday Times (2014)
He says that while natural weight-loss remedies may have a more wholesome image than slimming pills, an extensive review unearthed no evidence that they work.
Times, Sunday Times (2013)
In other languages
unearth
British English: unearth VERB
If someone unearths facts or evidence, they discover them with difficulty.
Researchers have unearthed documents from the 1600s.
American English: unearth
Brazilian Portuguese: desenterrar
Chinese: 挖掘出土
European Spanish: desenterrar
French: découvrir
German: ausgraben
Italian: portare alla luce
Japanese: >発見する事実や証拠を苦労して
Korean: 발굴하다
European Portuguese: desenterrar
Latin American Spanish: desenterrar
Chinese translation of 'unearth'
unearth
(ʌnˈəːθ)
vt
[remains, treasure etc]发(發)掘 (fājué)
[secrets, evidence]发(發)现(現) (fāxiàn)
1 (verb)
Definition
to discover by searching
No evidence has yet been unearthed.
Synonyms
discover
The suitcase was discovered on a roadside outside the city.
find
The police also found a pistol.
reveal
A grey carpet was removed to reveal the pine floor.
expose
After the scandal was exposed, he moved abroad.
turn up
uncover
Auditors said they had uncovered evidence of fraud.
bring to light
ferret out
root up
2 (verb)
Definition
to dig up out of the earth
Fossil hunters have unearthed the bones of an elephant.
Synonyms
dig up
excavate
They have excavated the fossil remains of a prehistoric man.
exhume
His remains have been exhumed from their resting place.
dredge up (informal)
She dredged up a minor misdemeanour.
disinter
The bones were disinterred and moved to a burial site.
Additional synonyms
in the sense of disinter
Definition
to dig up
The bones were disinterred and moved to a burial site.
Synonyms
dig up,
unearth,
exhume,
disentomb
in the sense of dredge up
Definition
to remember (something obscure or half-forgotten)
She dredged up a minor misdemeanour.
Synonyms
dig up,
raise,
rake up,
discover,
uncover,
draw up,
unearth,
drag up,
fish up
in the sense of excavate
Definition
to unearth (buried objects) methodically to discover information about the past
They have excavated the fossil remains of a prehistoric man.
Synonyms
unearth,
expose,
uncover,
dig out,
exhume,
lay bare,
bring to light,
bring to the surface,
disinter
Nearby words of
unearth
undulate
unduly
undying
unearth
unearthly
unease
uneasiness
Synonyms of 'unearth'
unearth
Explore 'unearth' in the dictionary
Additional synonyms
in the sense of exhume
Definition
to dig up something buried, esp. a corpse
His remains have been exhumed from their resting place.
Synonyms
dig up,
unearth,
disinter,
unbury,
disentomb
in the sense of expose
Definition
to reveal the truth about (someone or something), esp. when it is shocking or scandalous
After the scandal was exposed, he moved abroad.
Synonyms
reveal,
disclose,
uncover,
air,
detect,
betray,
show up,
denounce,
unearth,
let out,
divulge,
unmask,
lay bare,
make known,
bring to light,
out (informal),
smoke out,
blow wide open (slang)
in the sense of find
Definition
to discover by chance
The police also found a pistol.
Synonyms
discover,
turn up,
uncover,
unearth,
spot,
expose,
come up with,
locate,
detect,
come across,
track down,
catch sight of,
stumble upon,
hit upon,
espy,
ferret out,
chance upon,
light upon,
put your finger on,
lay your hand on,
run to ground,
run to earth,
descry
in the sense of reveal
Definition
to expose to view or show (something concealed)
A grey carpet was removed to reveal the pine floor.
Synonyms
show,
display,
bare,
exhibit,
unveil,
uncover,
manifest,
unearth,
unmask,
lay bare,
bring to light,
expose to view
in the sense of uncover
Definition
to reveal or disclose
Auditors said they had uncovered evidence of fraud.