unwind
unwind Lexical Profile
unwind Game Scores & Validity
• verb
To relax and release mental or physical tension after a period of work, stress, or nervous excitement.
"After a demanding week at the hospital, she likes to unwind by reading a novel in the garden."
To undo or become undone from a coiled, wrapped, or twisted state.
"He carefully unwound the length of copper wire from the wooden spool."
To close out, reverse, or liquidate a complex financial position, investment, or transaction (especially in finance and economics).
"The hedge fund began to unwind its leveraged positions before the end of the fiscal quarter."
• Rhymes for unwind
• Nearby Words
Word Origin & Etymology
From Old English 'onwindan', formed from the reversative prefix 'un-' (Old English 'on-' or 'un-') and 'windan' (to twist, coil, or turn). The figurative sense of relaxing after a period of mental tension or work emerged in the mid-20th century, likening a stressed person to a tightly wound mechanical spring.