unfreeze

verb

un·​freeze ˌən-ˈfrēz How to pronounce unfreeze (audio)
unfroze ˌən-ˈfrōz How to pronounce unfreeze (audio) ; unfrozen ˌən-ˈfrō-zᵊn How to pronounce unfreeze (audio) ; unfreezing

transitive verb

1
: to cause to thaw
2
: to remove from a freeze
unfreeze wages

Examples of unfreeze in a Sentence

We can't wait until the ground unfreezes so we can start gardening. The warm weather unfroze the lake. The Justice Department agreed to unfreeze the company's assets. I had to wait for my computer to unfreeze before I could read my e-mail. He helped me to unfreeze my computer.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Earlier this year, Barrett and Chief Justice John Roberts, who is also conservative, joined liberal Justices Sonia Sotomayor, Elena Kagan and Ketanji Brown Jackson in a ruling upholding a lower court order that unfroze $2 billion in foreign aid. Jenna Sundel, MSNBC Newsweek, 9 Sep. 2025 Days after signing the grant contract, KSUT received a stop-work order after FEMA halted spending, which CPB unsuccessfully sued to unfreeze. Gabriela Aoun Angueira, Chicago Tribune, 25 Aug. 2025 That does not include presidential pressure on educational institutions, including Columbia University, which paid a $221 million fine to settle the federal government’s claims against it and unfreeze federal funding. Naomi Lim, The Washington Examiner, 25 Aug. 2025 Weeks later, the Trump administration unfroze the funds and released the money to the states. Eric Levenson, CNN Money, 21 Aug. 2025 See All Example Sentences for unfreeze

Word History

First Known Use

1584, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of unfreeze was in 1584

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Cite this Entry

“Unfreeze.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/unfreeze. Accessed 17 Sep. 2025.

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