unstuck
unstuck Lexical Profile
unstuck Game Scores & Validity
• adjective
Freed from a jammed, immobilized, or stalled state; able to move or make progress again.
"Once we got the rusted zipper unstuck, the jacket was perfectly usable again."
Separated from something to which it was previously fastened, glued, or adhered.
"The humidity in the bathroom caused the wallpaper border to come unstuck at the corners."
British Having experienced failure, ruin, or severe difficulty, especially in the phrase 'come unstuck'.
"Their ambitious expansion plan came unstuck when interest rates rose sharply."
• verb
To separate or free something that is adhered, fastened, or jammed (past tense and past participle of 'unstick').
"She carefully unstuck the vintage postage stamp from the envelope using steam."
Word Nuance & Usage
As an adjective, 'unstuck' is used almost exclusively in a predicate position (following a linking verb such as 'be', 'get', or 'come'). Note the regional contrast: in American English, 'get unstuck' typically means to overcome an obstacle, whereas in British English, 'come unstuck' idioms mean to fail or run into trouble.