unstring
Americanverb
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to remove the strings of
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(of beads, pearls, etc) to remove or take from a string
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to weaken or enfeeble emotionally (a person or his nerves)
Etymology
Origin of unstring
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.
See Examples For:
That alone would’ve been enough for me to unstring my racquets and call it a career.
From Newsweek ● Jun. 21, 2011
Peggy was not, as we know, a nervous girl, but the situation was enough to unstring the nerves of the most stolid of beings.
From The Girl Aviators on Golden Wings by Margaret Burnham
But the constant mental fever under which he laboured was beginning to undermine a naturally-robust constitution, and to unstring the nerves of a well-made, powerful frame.
From The Golden Dream Adventures in the Far West by R. M. (Robert Michael) Ballantyne
An earnest, fluent talker, who could unstring his bow and throw a charm even over ordinary topics.
From Glories of Spain by Charles W. (William) Wood
The father taught his son how to string and unstring the bow, and also how to attach the arrow to the string.
From Myths and Legends of the Sioux by Marie L. McLaughlin
The remembered fact brought with it a degradation of mind and body—a complete unstringing of the moral fibres, which made even revenge seem an impossible output of energy.
From The History of David Grieve by Mrs. Humphry Ward
The archers, flushed and merry, were unstringing their bows once more, for in spite of the water glue the damp air took the strength from the cords.
From Sir Nigel by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
His liveliest sallies, his bitterest jests, were all reserved for these occasions, so that mirth or anger was forever unstringing the nerves of his competitors, and diminishing their chance of gain.
From Bred in the Bone by James Payn
"Maybe it's too early yet for the unstringing to begin!"
From The Virginian, a Horseman of the Plains by Owen Wister
Uncle says that after you have been at work very hard it’s like unstringing the bow; and so it is.
From The Ocean Cat's Paw The Story of a Strange Cruise by W. S. (Walter S.) Stacey
By the time Gilgamesh sets out in search of immortality, he is already unstrung.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 24, 2026
He also wore a fur pelt around his neck and carried an unstrung wooden archery bow.
From Washington Times ● Jul. 13, 2023
He can be seen hurling his unstrung bow into the tunnel, striking the helmet of D.C.
From Washington Post ● Sep. 27, 2022
That is not to say it’s historically unstrung along the lines of “The Great” or “Bridgerton” or Sofia Coppola’s “Marie Antoinette”; generally speaking, it stays put within its period.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 30, 2021
But before they unstrung their bows they used to observe a ceremony.
From "The Once and Future King" by T. H. White
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