unscramble

/ˌʌnˈskræmbl/ (bre, ipa) · [ənskrˈæmbəl] /ˌʌnˈskræmbl/ (ame, ipa) · [ənskrˈæmbəl] /ˌən-ˈskram-bəl How to pronounce unscramble (audio)/ (ame, mw)

unscramble — verb

  • unscramblepresent simple I / you / we / they
  • unscrambleshe / she / it
  • unscrambledpast simple
  • unscrambling-ing form

1. to work out what a coded message, signal, or piece of writing means so that it b

1.動詞及物B2
釋義

to work out what a coded message, signal, or piece of writing means so that it becomes clear and can be understood

例句

Jude spent an hour trying to unscramble the coded email his brother sent him.

unscramble + coded [message]

Corporal Hamza stayed awake all night to unscramble the enemy's coded radio transmissions.

同義詞
  • decode

    more technical and specific to codes and ciphers

  • decipher

    more formal; often used for ancient scripts or handwriting

  • decrypt

    specific to electronic encryption technology

反義詞
  • scramble

    make a message unintelligible by mixing up its contents

  • encode

    put information into a coded form

文法句型

unscramble + noun (coded message, signal, file)

用法筆記

Object is typically a coded message, encrypted file, or scrambled signal.

常見錯誤

❌I unscrambled the difficult math problem.
✅I solved the difficult math problem.
💡'unscramble' suggests there is a hidden order to uncover; it is not a general word for 'solve' or 'work out'.

2. to put jumbled or mixed-up things back into their proper order, making sense of

2.動詞及物B2
釋義

to put jumbled or mixed-up things back into their proper order, making sense of them again

例句

Ziad helped his daughter unscramble the mixed-up letters to form a real word.

unscramble + letters (word games)

Tomás worked through the morning to unscramble Oliveira & Sons' messy financial records.

同義詞
  • untangle

    more physical; used for knots, wires, and hair

  • sort out

    more informal and common in everyday speech

  • straighten out

    often used for plans, problems, or situations

反義詞
  • jumble

    mix things up in a confused way

  • tangle

    twist things together messily

  • muddle

    make something confused or disordered

文法句型

unscramble + noun (letters, accounts, files)

用法筆記

Object is usually something jumbled, tangled, or in disorder — not a coded or encrypted message (see sense 1).

常見錯誤

❌She unscrambled the secret code in the letter.
✅She unscrambled the messy handwriting in the letter.
💡sense 2 is about physical or logical disorder, not deliberately hidden meaning; for codes use sense 1.