unwind

verb un·wind \ ˌən-ˈwīnd \

Definition of unwind

unwound play \ˌən-ˈwau̇nd\; unwinding

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 labryinth 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

See unwind defined for English-language learners

See unwind defined for kids

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 of unwind from the Web

Companies have long been allied with the government during trade processes, and unwinding that relationship would be difficult, if not impossible.

— alana semuels, The Atlantic, "What Would a Better NAFTA Look Like?," 19 Aug. 2017
Seating is at counters, booths or against a banquette where tables are easily merged to accommodate impromptu groups that might be unwinding from the workday, or extending it.

— providence cicero, The Seattle Times, "The all-day Café Hitchcock is poised for success," 16 Aug. 2017
The postgame music in the Chicago Cubs’ clubhouse following their victory that ended at 1:06 a.m. Wednesday was mellow and soothing with the knowledge that there would be little time to unwind.

— mark gonzales, chicagotribune.com, "Cubs try to complete sweeps on little rest," 19 July 2017
Her long, detailed narratives unwound like mystery novels.

— elinor j. brecher, miamiherald, "Meg Laughlin, former Tropic writer who gave voice to the vulnerable, dies at 70," 12 July 2017
Boost is a pillar of Air France-KLM Chief Executive Officer Jean-Marc Janaillac’s plan to beef up profit after years of losses while unwinding the stalemate with unions that plagued predecessor Alexandre de Juniac’s tenure.

— angeline benoit, Bloomberg.com, "Air France Pilots Say Flights Still Obstacle to 'Boost' Accord," 11 July 2017
One of the goals of gradually unwinding the balance sheet would be to not disrupt broader economic growth despite the possibility of rising long-term rates.

— josh boak, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "Fed debating when to unwind $4.5 trillion in bond holdings," 5 July 2017
Situated in a strip mall next to two sister restaurants, Peace Burger appears to be a favorite spot for DFW employees to unwind after work.

— andy staples, SI.com, "Where to eat, drink in Dallas," 30 June 2017
The euro notched its biggest daily rise against the dollar in a year on Tuesday after upbeat comments from European Central Bank President Mario Draghi fueled speculation that the central bank could soon unwind its quantitative easing program.

— chelsey dulaney, WSJ, "Euro Rallies on ECB Chief’s Upbeat Comments," 27 June 2017

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

First Known Use of unwind

14th century

unwind Synonyms

Synonyms

chill, chill out [slang], decompress, de-stress, loosen up, mellow (out), relax, wind down

Antonyms

tense (up)

Related Words

unbend; bask, kick back, loll, lounge, repose, rest; bum, dally, dawdle, dillydally, drone, footle, goof (off), hack (around), hang (around or out), idle, laze, loaf, vegetate, veg out, zone out; alleviate, comfort, ease, relieve; calm, compose, cool, quiet, settle

UNWIND Defined for English Language Learners

unwind

verb

Definition of unwind for English Language Learners

: to move the end of something (such as a piece of string) that is wound in a roll, coil, etc., so that it becomes straight
: to relax and stop thinking about work, problems, etc.