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 month, the Supreme Court, which has a 6-3 conservative majority, ordered the administration to unfreeze $2 billion in foreign aid. Ron Estes, MSNBC Newsweek, 29 Mar. 2025 Featured Nearly $45 million in Colorado safety grants still frozen by Trump administration, officials say Colorado and a coalition of other states are again asking a judge to require the Trump administration to unfreeze funding that the court had previously ordered to be unlocked. The Denver Post, 4 Mar. 2025 Two federal judges have issued orders requiring the Trump administration to unfreeze trillions of dollars in funding for a wide range of projects, including clean energy. Nara Schoenberg, Chicago Tribune, 1 Mar. 2025 John McConnell McConnell, a federal judge in Rhode Island, ordered the Trump administration to unfreeze federal spending and later found that the administration had not complied with his order. Josh Hammer, Newsweek, 19 Mar. 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 10 Apr. 2025.

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