uncoil

American  

[uhn-koil] / ʌnˈkɔɪl /

verb (used with or without object)

1. to unwind from a coiled position.

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uncoil British  

/ ʌnˈkɔɪl /

verb

1. to unwind or become unwound; untwist

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Etymology

Origin of uncoil

First recorded in 1705–15; un- ² + coil ¹

Explanation

To uncoil is to straighten something out that's been curled or twisted, the way you uncoil a long, thin piece of red licorice, chewing it as you go. When something is coiled, it's wound or curled into a spiral shape. You can even call it a coil, like a coil of rope on the deck of a sailboat. Make it straight by untwisting it, and you uncoil it: "Leave my snake alone! Don't try to uncoil her!" The prefix un- means "reverse or opposite of," and coil, "gather into rings," comes from a root meaning "to gather or collect."

Example Sentences

There is fundamental pent-up demand for home improvement that should uncoil as housing turnover improves.

From Barron's • Jan. 29, 2026

Slamming her feet down on the springboard, Biles compresses the springs that then uncoil and transfer energy back into her body as she reaches up and backward for the vault table.

From Los Angeles Times • Jul. 23, 2024

Had I said, "I love you"? I will never be able to uncoil that memory from my brain.

From Salon • May 2, 2023

The tension, the worry, the fear is still there, but Sabrina feels herself uncoil now that she’s racing.

From Slate • Jan. 29, 2022

We weren’t quite halfway up the wall when it reached the ground below us, looked up, and squatted like a spring about to uncoil.

From "Hollow City" by Ransom Riggs

Related Words

• circulate
• cover
• develop
• disperse
• escalate
• expand
• extend
• flow
• increase
• lay
• multiply
• proliferate
• reach
• set
• spray
• stretch