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.
This move pressured the administration to unfreeze its funding, a rare policy reversal under President Donald Trump. Raja Krishnamoorthi, Newsweek, 13 Mar. 2025 In seeking emergency relief from the Supreme Court, acting Solicitor General Sarah Harris asked the court to first temporarily halt the district court's order — pausing last Wednesday night's deadline for the administration to unfreeze foreign aid funds — and then toss it out altogether. Melissa Quinn, CBS News, 5 Mar. 2025 Additionally, Trump’s administration has violated court orders to unfreeze federal funding. Jeffrey Schmitt, The Conversation, 28 Feb. 2025 Before our hero can so much as unfreeze a steak, Drasa is writing him messages to be read by rifle scope. Graham Hillard, Washington Examiner - Political News and Conservative Analysis About Congress, the President, and the Federal Government, 28 Feb. 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 24 Mar. 2025.

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