unwind
verb (used with object)
to undo or loosen from or as if from a coiled condition.
was unwinding
-
past progressiveof unwind.past progressive
Used to describe an ongoing action or continuous state that was happening at a specific time in the past.
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.
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
At the time, Greenspan told MarketWatch that the biggest challenge facing the central bank was unwinding its enormous postcrisis balance sheet while causing minimal collateral damage to financial markets.
From MarketWatch ● Jun. 22, 2026
On Tuesday, the eSafety commissioner said the reform was "unwinding 20 years of entrenched social media practices".
From BBC ● Mar. 30, 2026
But Reuters has found that, as the publicly-traded U.S. firm was unwinding its Russia operations, its most senior manager in the region did not stop doing business there.
From Reuters ● Jun. 28, 2023
I figured to be nervous when I was unwinding the rope from the cleat.
From "Life Is So Good" by George Dawson
