unwind

verb

un·​wind ˌən-ˈwīnd 

unwound ˌən-ˈwau̇nd  ; unwinding; unwinds

transitive verb

1

a

: to cause to uncoil : wind off : unroll

b

: to free from or as if from a binding or wrapping

c

: to release from tension : relax

2

archaic : to trace to the end

… unwinding the labyrinth and bringing the hero out …

—Laurence Sterne

3

: to undo (a financial arrangement or position) through the necessary legal or financial steps

… unwound most of its natural gas hedges …

—The New York Times

intransitive verb

1

: to become uncoiled or disentangled : unfold

2

: to become released from tension

take a bath to unwind

Synonyms of unwind

• relax

Examples of unwind in a Sentence

She unwound some thread from the spool.

The fishing line unwound quickly.

I wanted to unwind after a hard day.

Recent Examples on the Web

The lakefront pool and hot tub are perfect for unwinding together, and De La Nonna’s giant pizzas and firepit tables make family dinners easy and fun for the whole group. — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 15 Aug. 2026

In contrast, no tariffs would unwind the COMEX-LME arbitrage. — Hugh Leask, CNBC, 14 Aug. 2026

Jones’ uncle, for example, texted him an AI image of a bird unwinding at the beach on Thursday morning. — Gary Phillips, New York Daily News, 13 Aug. 2026

Now, at the behest of police and firefighter unions across California, state lawmakers are pushing through legislation to unwind parts of Brown’s changes. — Daniel Borenstein, Mercury News, 11 Aug. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1a

Rhymes for unwind

• aligned
• alined
• assigned
• behind
• combined
• confined
• consigned
• crosswind
• declined
• defined
• designed
• divined

Kids Definition

unwind

verb

un·​wind ˌən-ˈwīnd 

ˈən-

unwound -ˈwau̇nd  ; unwinding

1

a

: to cause to uncoil : wind off

b

: to become uncoiled or untangled

2

: to make or become free of tension : relax

wanted to unwind after a hard day