Unwind
Definition, Meaning & Examples
Pronunciation /ʌnˈwaɪnd/ · Part of speech verb
Quick meaning: Unwind is a verb meaning (transitive) To separate (something that is wound up).
Meaning
(transitive) To separate (something that is wound up).
More Meanings
- (transitive, obsolete) To disentangle
- (intransitive, colloquial) To relax; to chill out; to rest and become relieved of stress
- (intransitive) To be or become unwound; to be capable of being unwound or untwisted.
- (transitive, finance) To close out a position, especially a complicated position.
- (transitive, finance) To undo something.
- (transitive, programming) To navigate back through (a call stack) so as to generate a stack trace etc.
- (transitive, programming, software compilation) Synonym of unroll (“replace a loop with a sequence”).
Example Sentences
to unwind a ball of yarn
Could you unwind about a foot of ribbon so I can finish the package?
After work, I like to unwind by smoking a pipe while reading the paper.
If the expression is a throw, we unwind the stack seeking a handler expression.
Word Forms
- unwinds
- unwinding
- unwound
Synonyms for unwind
Depending on context, synonyms include untwist, untwine, unroll, relax, decompress, unlax.
Antonyms for unwind
Common opposites include strain, wrap, tense, roll, wind.
Related Words
Related dictionary entries include unroll, disentangle, unbend, unstrain, unlax, decompress.
Related Dictionary Tools
Sources & Attribution
FreeDictionaryAPI.com / Wiktionary · Original source · CC BY-SA 4.0
Dictionary data is provided by FreeDictionaryAPI.com and sourced from Wiktionary under its stated license.