unpack
v.v. to take things out of a suitcase or box after traveling or moving. In a more serious way, it means to explain a complicated idea piece by piece so it is easier to understand.
v. to remove the contents from a container, such as a suitcase or package. In academic or analytical contexts, it describes the process of examining a complex concept or argument by breaking it down into its constituent parts.
I need to unpack my suitcase before we go to dinner.
The professor spent the first half of the lecture helping the students unpack the dense imagery in the poem.
While the initial proposal seems straightforward, we must carefully unpack the long-term financial implications and potential risks to our reputation before committing any further capital to the project.
From Middle English unpakken, equivalent to un- + pack. Compare Saterland Frisian uutpakje (“to unpack”), West Frisian útpakke (“to unpack”), Dutch uitpakken (“to unpack”), German auspacken (“to unpack”).
The verb is transitive and requires a direct object.