thaw

verb

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\ ˈthȯ

thawed; thawing; thaws

Definition of thaw

(Entry 1 of 2)

intransitive verb

1a : to go from a frozen to a liquid state : melt

b : to become free of the effect (such as stiffness, numbness, or hardness) of cold as a result of exposure to warmth

2 : to be warm enough to melt ice and snow —used with it in reference to the weather

3 : to abandon aloofness, reserve, or hostility : unbend

4 : to become mobile, active, or susceptible to change

transitive verb

: to cause to thaw

thaw

noun

Definition of thaw (Entry 2 of 2)

1 : the action, fact, or process of thawing

2 : a period of weather warm enough to thaw ice the January thaw

3 : the action or process of becoming less aloof, less hostile, or more genial a thaw in international relations

Synonyms & Antonyms More Example Sentences Learn More About thaw

Synonyms & Antonyms for thaw

Synonyms: Verb

Antonyms: Verb

Examples of thaw in a Sentence

Verb Plant the seeds in early spring as soon as the ground thaws. The sun will soon thaw the snow and ice. The weather is beginning to thaw. Our cold fingers and toes eventually thawed. She held the coffee cup tightly, trying to thaw her frozen fingers. Noun flooding from the spring thaw a thaw in international relations See More

Recent Examples on the Web: Verb Before reheating, thaw the quiche overnight in the refrigerator. — Robin Miller, USA TODAY, 14 Apr. 2022 Before reheating, thaw the quiche overnight in the refrigerator. — Robin Miller, USA TODAY, 14 Apr. 2022 Before reheating, thaw the quiche overnight in the refrigerator. — Robin Miller, The Arizona Republic, 13 Apr. 2022 The pools of water that their dams create are warmer than the surrounding soil, and that could thaw permafrost and release carbon and methane greenhouse gases into the atmosphere. — Kylie Mohr, Wired, 26 Feb. 2022 Milder air will thaw the East Coast by Wednesday and Thursday. — Emily Shapiro, ABC News, 30 Nov. 2021 Consumer frozen food sales may thaw a bit as the pandemic peak recedes and people resume eating at restaurants, but new frozen foods are filling up many fridges. — Louis Biscotti, Forbes, 12 Oct. 2021 The smoothie base and extra frozen fruit will thaw by lunch and will be ready to top with all the accoutrements. — Casey Barber, CNN, 26 Sep. 2021 Decades earlier, as frosty relations between Washington and Beijing began to thaw under the Nixon administration, Mr. Peng had urged the world to pay attention to the concerns of the Taiwanese people. — Chris Horton, New York Times, 16 Apr. 2022 Recent Examples on the Web: Noun But the swap doesn't seem to be the start of a thaw in relations. — ABC News, 1 May 2022 Sensing in their conversations and reminiscences the earliest edges of a thaw, Newcombe invited Robinson to come to Dodger Stadium later in the spring, on the first Sunday in June. — Los Angeles Times, 14 Apr. 2022 The return of several American journalists, alongside other foreign workers, seemed to signal a small thaw in U.S.-China relations and that the country was finally emerging from the pandemic. — Washington Post, 9 Apr. 2022 Erin Jackson provided a welcome thaw with a victory in the 500 meters Sunday, becoming the first Black woman to win an Olympic speedskating medal. — Beth Harris, courant.com, 13 Feb. 2022 Together with permafrost thaw and land subsidence, the phenomena are creating geological chaos. — Matt Simon, Wired, 18 Jan. 2022 This was done, for example, after the thaw of the Cold War in Eastern Europe and the opening of U.S.-China relations after the visit of President Richard Nixon. — Marcy Gordon, The Christian Science Monitor, 8 Apr. 2022 Ted Schuur, who leads a project on permafrost thaw and climate change at the University of Northern Arizona, told me. — Joshua Yaffa, The New Yorker, 10 Jan. 2022 The eight major Arctic rivers are discharging more freshwater into the Arctic Ocean, reflecting an Arctic-wide increase in water coming from land as a result of precipitation, permafrost thaw and ice melt. — Matthew Druckenmiller, The Conversation, 14 Dec. 2021 See More

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'thaw.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.