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

In the equities space, a carry unwind would be especially painful for the artificial-intelligence and technology complex, where high valuations and crowded positions make conditions ripe for a selloff, said Swissquote’s Ipek Ozkardeskaya.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 10, 2026

A carry trade unwind, a selldown in U.S.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 9, 2026

But if the currency becomes too strong, that would increase the risks of another painful unwind of the yen carry trade.

From MarketWatch ● Sep. 9, 2026

Connie, 63, an NHS hospital discharge lead, is known as "the cake lady" and uses baking as a way to unwind after a hectic day.

From BBC ● Sep. 8, 2026

He holds the string up in one hand turns the rings so they wind and unwind in bright spinning flashes.

From "Flowers for Algernon" by Daniel Keyes

Once the company is floated, the SPV mechanically unwinds its position in the market.

From MarketWatch ● Aug. 28, 2026

There were no failed auctions, no dealer balance-sheet seizure, no forced unwinds, nothing resembling Treasurys in March 2020 or U.K. gilts in September 2022, the sort of genuine dysfunctional episodes that justify official action.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 24, 2026

For instance, there would need to be a larger, more fundamental shift for the yen to begin strengthening in a way that fully unwinds the carry trade.

From MarketWatch ● Jul. 14, 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

El unwinds the towel from her waist and rushes off to the pool.

From "Dumplin'" by Julie Murphy

Horton last year, but unwound that not long after.

From MarketWatch ● Aug. 14, 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

U.S. auto prices could see a 10% increase if the deal was unwound, estimates Hufbauer.

From Barron's ● Jun. 29, 2026

It has continued to drop this year, but the company said share-price declines haven’t unwound targets Smith already hit.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 28, 2026

I’ve tied it super tight to make sure it stays up; the worst thing in the world would be if it came unwound and fell down in front of hundreds of people.

From "The Queen of Water" by Laura Resau

Any unwinding of the trade could spell trouble for AI and technology stocks.

From MarketWatch ● Sep. 9, 2026

An unwinding of these trades would fuel demand for the yen to repay those loans and help strengthen the currency.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 3, 2026

A September increase would complete the unwinding of the second of the three production-cut packages introduced by OPEC+.

From Barron's ● Aug. 2, 2026

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

Carefully he detached the small charm from its plastic card, unwinding the wire ties and placing the bird on her bedside table.

From "Orphan Train" by Christina Baker Kline

Related Words

• loosen
• unfurl
• unravel