unwind

American  

[uhn-wahynd] / ʌnˈwaɪnd /

verb (used with object)

unwound, unwinding

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)

unwound, unwinding

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

• unwindable adjective
• unwinder noun

Etymology

Origin of unwind

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

Example Sentences

But unwinding it not only will be difficult, given rising concerns about market liquidity; it also may not produce the more equitable economic benefits he wants.

From The Wall Street Journal

The effect of a mass deleveraging looks set to bleed over into stock markets, and metals aren’t the only crowded trade susceptible to being unwound.

From Barron's

The bitcoin holdings of Michael Saylor’s Strategy were briefly underwater in a sign of the unwinding in cryptocurrency value this year.

From MarketWatch

Though lower interest rates ought to provide a fillip for gold and silver, it seems investors are looking for scraps of news to unwind their recent parabolic rallies.

From Barron's

That sell-off has led to some traders unwinding bets aimed at taking advantage of differences in value between the yen and the dollar.

From BBC

Related Words

• loosen
• unfurl
• unravel