unmask

verb

un·​mask ˌən-ˈmask 

unmasked; unmasking; unmasks

transitive verb

1

: to reveal the true nature of : expose

She was unmasked as a spy.

2

: to remove a mask from

intransitive verb

: to remove one's mask

Synonyms of unmask

• reveal
• disclose
• discover
• uncover
• expose
• tell

Examples of unmask in a Sentence

He was unmasked as a spy.

the killer's identity won't be unmasked until the season's final episode

Recent Examples on the Web

Plenty of killers have been unmasked over the years, and the bodies have piled up in increasingly inventive ways. — Scott Shilstone, Deadline, 7 Oct. 2026

Though New York magazine’s former critic, Adam Platt, famously dropped anonymity way back in 2013, the first newspaper critic to unmask themself was Alison Cook of the Houston Chronicle in 2012; even Gold unmasked himself in 2015. — Sam Stone, Bon Appetit Magazine, 2 Oct. 2026

Some hurried to try to unmask the anonymous woman behind the accusations. — Lauren Mascarenhas, CNN Money, 30 Sep. 2026

Sporting black turtlenecks a la Steve Jobs, Holmes first gained renown and then infamy as the tech was unmasked as fraudulent by the Wall Street Journal and a subsequent federal investigation. — Theresa Braine, New York Daily News, 25 Sep. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1562, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense

Rhymes for unmask

• subtask
• ask
• bask
• basque
• cask
• casque
• flask
• mask
• masque
• pasch
• task

Kids Definition

unmask

verb

un·​mask ˌən-ˈmask 

ˈən-

: to strip of a mask or a disguise : expose

unmask a traitor