unwind

American  

[uhn-wahynd] / ʌnˈwaɪnd /

verb (used with object)

• unwinds,
  present (3rd person singular)
• unwound,
  past participle,  past
• unwinding
  present participle

1. to undo or loosen from or as if from a coiled condition.

   to unwind a rolled bandage; to unwind a coiled rope.

2. to reduce the tension of; relax.

   to unwind a person with a drink.

3. to disentangle or disengage; untwist.

   to unwind one's legs from around the stool.

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verb (used without object)

• unwinds,
  present (3rd person singular)
• unwound,
  past participle,  past
• unwinding
  present participle

1. to become unwound.

2. to become relieved of tension; relax.

   After work we can have a drink and unwind.

unwind British  

/ ʌnˈwaɪnd /

verb

1. to slacken, undo, or unravel or cause to slacken, undo, or unravel

2. (tr) to disentangle

3. to make or become relaxed

   he finds it hard to unwind after a busy day at work

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• unwinder
  noun
• unwindable
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Participles

• unwinding
  present
• unwound
  past

Conjugated Forms

Present

• unwind
  simple
• unwinds
  simple
• have unwound
  perfect
• has unwound
  perfect
• am unwinding
  progressive
• are unwinding
  progressive
• is unwinding
  progressive
• have been unwinding
  perfect progressive
• has been unwinding
  perfect progressive

Past

• unwound
  simple
• had unwound
  perfect
• was unwinding
  progressive
• were unwinding
  progressive
• had been unwinding
  perfect progressive

Future

• will unwind
  simple
• will have unwound
  perfect
• will be unwinding
  progressive
• will have been unwinding
  perfect progressive

Etymology

Origin of unwind

First recorded in 1275–1325; Middle English onwinden; see un- ², wind ²

Explanation

The literal meaning of the verb unwind is exactly what it sounds like — the opposite of "wind," or twist. But when someone says they need to unwind, they mean that they need to relax. When you come inside on a cold, snowy day, you might first unwind the scarf from around your neck, loosening and untwisting it. If you then grab a cup of hot chocolate and put your feet up on the coffee table, you’ll feel yourself start to unwind, or become less tense. Unwind has been in use since the fourteenth century, but the figurative meaning of “to relax” dates only from the mid-twentieth century.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

unwind unwinds unwound unwinding

The injunction therefore sought to preserve the court’s ability to provide meaningful relief before the construction became, as a practical matter, increasingly difficult and costly to unwind.

From Slate ● Sep. 1, 2026

In doing all this, James is also determined to unwind the cliches of gay fiction: the tragic victim, the heartwarming gestures of solidarity, the blunt porniness.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 1, 2026

He said the higher interest rates go, the risk increases of a disruptive stock-market unwind.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 1, 2026

Analysts noted that one reason yields dropped sharply on Wednesday after the buybacks announcement was that it caught traders by surprise, forcing some to quickly unwind bets on higher long-term yields.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 21, 2026

I unwind the leather reins from my forearms and nervously slide one leg up and over Friday's saddle while I inch myself to the crates.

From "The Sky at Our Feet" by Nadia Hashimi

Ultimately, when a risk event occurs, dispersion unwinds and correlations between stocks and the index rise rapidly.

From MarketWatch ● Jun. 30, 2026

Occasionally when he returns from work bone tired, Cintrón unwinds in his room for 10 minutes.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 19, 2026

A senior administration official Sunday detailed a three-part framework in which Iran reopens the Strait of Hormuz and disposes of its enriched uranium while the U.S. unwinds its blockade in Iranian ports.

From The Wall Street Journal ● May 26, 2026

While some F1 stars like Lando Norris, Max Verstappen and Charles Leclerc choose to race online in their spare time, Häkkinen unwinds by riding horses.

From BBC ● May 21, 2026

I smile, and the knot in my chest unwinds a little.

From "Dumplin'" by Julie Murphy

Last week, Trump Media also unwound deals with Crypto.com to launch a prediction-market feature on Truth Social and create a stand-alone digital-asset treasury.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 10, 2026

Before the conflict, markets were pricing in interest-rate cuts, which have since unwound, but they said the Fed could turn more dovish on signs of inflation clearly moving lower in the months ahead.

From MarketWatch ● Aug. 3, 2026

South Korean stocks suffered one of their steepest plunges on Wednesday, with the blood-letting that has battered chip firms over the past month deepening as nervous investors unwound their bets on the AI boom.

From Barron's ● Jul. 29, 2026

The Department of Justice argued that immigrant kids could still sue over poor conditions if the Flores settlement is unwound.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 24, 2026

She twisted her whole body, from the hips to the waist to the shoulders, then unwound it like a spring, throwing her left foot around high and fast.

From "City of the Plague God" by Sarwat Chadda

Some members of the group known as OPEC+ have been gradually unwinding voluntary production cuts of 1.65 million barrels that were announced in April 2023.

From MarketWatch ● Aug. 1, 2026

Comcast’s move marks the culmination of an unwinding of vertically integrated companies among the cable, telecom and media conglomerates.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 30, 2026

But the latest unwinding follows an earlier step toward separation.

From Barron's ● Jun. 29, 2026

When the act was passed, the Vietnam War was unwinding, and Richard Nixon’s presidency was collapsing in the wake of the Watergate scandal.

From Slate ● Jun. 29, 2026

“I don’t think it’s permanent,” Ducky said, unwinding this enormous scarf from around his neck.

From "Slam!" by Walter Dean Myers

Related Words

• loosen
• unfurl
• unravel