unfreeze

American

[uhn-freez] / ʌnˈfriz /

verb (used with object)

to cause to thaw; melt.
to remove or relax controls or restrictions on (funds, prices, rents, etc.).

verb (used without object)

to become unfrozen; thaw.

unfreeze British

/ ʌnˈfriːz /

verb

to thaw or cause to thaw
(tr) to relax governmental restrictions on (wages, prices, credit, etc) or on the manufacture or sale of (goods, etc)

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

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Etymology

Origin of unfreeze

First recorded in 1575–85; un- ² + freeze

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Sun’s lawsuit alleges a World Liberty executive threatened to report him to U.S. authorities if he pursued litigation to unfreeze his tokens.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 22, 2026

Magyar has promised to crack down on corruption, improve public services such as healthcare and carry out reforms required to unfreeze billions of euros in EU funds earmarked for Hungary.

From Barron's • Apr. 12, 2026

Before Monday's announcement, the government had been in discussions with Harvard over a potential deal to unfreeze federal funding.

From BBC • Feb. 3, 2026

On Tuesday, a federal court in a separate lawsuit ordered the administration to unfreeze more than $80 million in funding that is currently being withheld.

From Los Angeles Times • Aug. 13, 2025

I sucked my tongue to unfreeze it, tasting the gritty dust.

From "Purple Hibiscus" by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023