unwind
Americanverb (used with object)
-
unwinds,
present (3rd person singular)
-
unwound,
past participle, past
-
unwinding
present participle
-
to undo or loosen from or as if from a coiled condition.
to unwind a rolled bandage; to unwind a coiled rope.
-
to reduce the tension of; relax.
to unwind a person with a drink.
-
to disentangle or disengage; untwist.
to unwind one's legs from around the stool.
verb (used without object)
-
unwinds,
present (3rd person singular)
-
unwound,
past participle, past
-
unwinding
present participle
-
to become unwound.
-
to become relieved of tension; relax.
After work we can have a drink and unwind.
verb
-
to slacken, undo, or unravel or cause to slacken, undo, or unravel
-
(tr) to disentangle
-
to make or become relaxed
he finds it hard to unwind after a busy day at work
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
unwindsimple
-
unwindssimple
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have unwoundperfect
-
has unwoundperfect
-
am unwindingprogressive
-
are unwindingprogressive
-
is unwindingprogressive
-
have been unwindingperfect progressive
-
has been unwindingperfect progressive
Past
-
unwoundsimple
-
had unwoundperfect
-
was unwindingprogressive
-
were unwindingprogressive
-
had been unwindingperfect progressive
Future
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.
Vocabulary lists containing unwind
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Bob
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Obama's health care law -- NYTimes
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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:
After a tour around the country, what could be more relaxing than my colleagues’ suggestions about how to unwind this evening?
From Slate ● Oct. 29, 2026
I regularly “walk the day off” there, or stroll around the Silver Lake reservoir after work to unwind.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 29, 2026
Renewed escalation could drive a further increase in the geopolitical risk premium while credible progress toward a deal could unwind part of the existing premium, he says.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 28, 2026
Like many others, Katie and Amy love reading books as a way to unwind from the stresses and pressures of every day life.
From BBC ● Oct. 27, 2026
King PeDinore’s hone stood patiently while the rope was wound round its legs, and Merlyn and the Wart had to catch the brachet and unwind it before the conversation could go on.
From "The Once and Future King" by T. H. White
While chip stocks were bouncing on Tuesday and software stocks were ceding some ground, neither move unwinds the extent of Monday’s performance.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 15, 2026
“Today’s settlement unwinds an agreement under which Zillow paid Redfin $100 million to stop competing and hand off all its customers to Zillow,” said Daniel Guarnera, who helms the FTC’s Bureau of Competition.
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
Every portion of itself unravels, unwinds, undoes, and re-forms into something else.
From "The Girl Who Drank the Moon" by Kelly Barnhill
Yields began to climb anew in the summer of 2023, as traders unwound recession bets.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 21, 2026
On the other hand, July registered a large drop in state and local education employment that might have been due more to calendar quirks than anything else, and so could be unwound.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 3, 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
The boom results were posted despite South Korean stocks suffering a sharp sell-off on Wednesday as nervous traders unwound AI-driven bets, fretting whether lofty profit forecasts are realistic.
From Barron's ● Jul. 30, 2026
Lina picked her up and unwound the yarn, talking soothingly, though she was so upset that her fingers trembled.
From "The City of Ember" by Jeanne DuPrau
Despite these dynamics, GM reported third-quarter profits of $3.3 billion, more than double last year's level, which was marred by one-time costs connected to unwinding electric vehicle investments.
From Barron's ● Oct. 20, 2026
A key question facing the $32 trillion Treasury market is whether additional heavy selling could suddenly spark an unwinding that pushes the yield on the benchmark 10-year Treasury note to 6%.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 9, 2026
Manus in September said it had resumed independent operations after unwinding the Meta acquisition.
From Barron's ● Oct. 8, 2026
In a sign that the unwinding bond trades were causing pain elsewhere in European markets, the euro slid Thursday, as did stocks.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 3, 2026
You stare out at tracer rounds unwinding through the dark like brilliant red ribbons.
From "The Things They Carried" by Tim O'Brien
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Get a wordDefinitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
