Verbs That Start With U

By
, Staff Writer
Updated August 16, 2021
Verbs That Start With U
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    Verbs That Start With U
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Which part of speech do you suppose is more important, nouns or verbs? Truth is, they're both necessary to create a complete sentence. Nouns allow us to understand who or what's being discussed while verbs put the subject into action. Let's see what a long list of verbs that start with "u" looks like.

50 Verbs Starting With U

Get ready to unwind with this long list of "u" verbs, a short definition for each and a smattering of simple synonyms.

Verb

Definition

Synonyms

unbalance

to disturb the equilibrium

unhinge, teeter

unbuckle

to unfasten a clasp

release, unbelt

uncork

to draw a cork from something

open, expand, free

uncover

to reveal

disclose, divulge

underestimate

to set too low a guess on quantity, degree or worth

belittle, disparage, minimize

undergo

to be subjected to something

bear, endure, withstand

underline

to stress or emphasize

accentuate, underscore

undermine

to weaken

corrupt, debilitate, thwart

underscore

to draw a line under a word or to emphasize something

highlight, stress

understand

to appreciate or comprehend

intuit, perceive

undertake

to attempt

assume, begin, commence

underwrite

to agree to buy or to insure

bankroll, finance, guarantee

undo

to nullify

abolish, abrogate, negate

undress

to take off

disrobe, doff, expose

unearth

to dig up

discover, disinter, uproot

unfold

to make something known that wasn't

clarify, develop, uncover

unfurl

to open or spread out

display, expand, unroll

unhook

to remove from a hook

liberate, emancipate

uninstall

to completely remove from a computer

delete

unite

to combine

adjoin, affix, yoke

unleash

to let something go

discharge, free, release

unload

to empty

deplete, discharge, lighten

unlock

to open

unbar, unfasten, unhitch

unnerve

to upset

agitate, fluster, intimidate

unpack

to open and remove the contents

empty, unwrap

unplug

to remove a plug

pull out, disconnect

unravel

to untangle

disengage, disentangle

unroll

to open or extend

display, unfurl

unseat

to dislodge from a position

depose, dethrone, remove

unsettle

to bother

disrupt, disturb, upset

unsubscribe

to cancel a subscription

remove, delist, leave

untangle

to straighten out

disentangle, extricate, free

untie

to loosen, undo or unfasten

disengage, unbind, unknot

unveil

to reveal

announce, disclose, divulge

unwind

to relax

loosen, uncoil

unwrap

to remove the wrappings

uncover, disclose, free

update

to make something current

modernize, refurbish, renovate

upend

to turn something upside down

topple, upset, flip

upgrade

to improve, promote or make better

advance, ascent, update

uphold

to support or defend

advocate, assert, vindicate

upload

to transfer a file electronically

connect, transmit

uproot

to destroy or remove completely

abolish, eradicate, annihilate

upsell

to persuade someone to buy more

exaggerate, add on

upset

to disturb

agitate, disquiet, distress

urge

to force or push something into action

advocate, appeal, sway

use

to handle or consume something

employ, exercise, utilize

usher

to show people where they're supposed to sit

attend, direct, steer

usurp

to take over

accroach, replace, commandeer

utilize

to make use of something

avail, capitalize, use

utter

to speak or express something

pronounce, talk, express

10 Example Sentences of Verbs That Start With U

Ready to unearth the hidden power of "u" verbs in sentence form? Dive into 10 of the "u" words put into action.

  1. Doing that will unbalance the scales.
  2. Did she just uncork the bottle?
  3. You should never underestimate a mama bear's wrath.
  4. I cannot underscore his points emphatically enough.
  5. What did you unearth during your mission trip?
  6. She unleashed the dogs.
  7. He unraveled the spool of thread.
  8. Don't forget to unsubscribe from their newsletter later.
  9. I'd like to urge you to pray more often.
  10. How can we utilize these old journals?

Types of Verbs

The basic formula for a simple sentence is: subject + verb + direct object. Verbs express the action of the sentences, placing the subject of the sentence into motion. In the example sentence:

  • Ulysses unearthed the ukulele.

"Ulysses" is the subject, "unearthed" is the verb, and "ukulele" is the direct object. Since it's difficult to live in a world without verbs, there are many different classifications. Explore three of the most popular.

  • The most common type of verb is an action verb. These are verbs that indicate things you can do. In the examples, unplug and urge are action verbs. They're performing specific actions.
  • Another common form is the helping verb. These verbs assist the main verb by adding to its meaning. If you say, "Uriah is upgrading the software," "is" is the helping verb to the main (action) verb upgrading.
  • You can also find linking verbs. These verbs don't describe any actions. Instead, they connect the subject of the sentence to further information. Linking verbs are often "to be" verbs, including "am," "is," "are," and "were." An example would be, "Umar was trying to unwind from work when you arrived." In this example, "was" is the linking verb.
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Useful U Verbs

What do you think? Will you allow any of these "u" verbs to be utilized in your next short story or poem? They might usurp some of the more ordinary verbs we tend to lean on and underscore your moral or theme even better. While you're at it, why not pop in a little bit of alliteration? Try to pair one of these verbs with a "u" noun. For more on that, check out this full list of nouns that start with "u." Since "u" is a thing of the past, investigate some verbs that start with "v."