thawed; thawing; thaws
1
a
: to go from a frozen to a liquid state : melt
b
: to become free of the effect (such as stiffness, numbness, or hardness) of cold as a result of exposure to warmth
2
: to be warm enough to melt ice and snow
—used with it in reference to the weather
3
: to abandon aloofness, reserve, or hostility : unbend
4
: to become mobile, active, or susceptible to change
: to cause to thaw
1
: the action, fact, or process of thawing
2
: a period of weather warm enough to thaw ice
the January thaw
3
: the action or process of becoming less aloof, less hostile, or more genial
a thaw in international relations
Examples of thaw in a Sentence
Verb
Plant the seeds in early spring as soon as the ground thaws.
The sun will soon thaw the snow and ice.
The weather is beginning to thaw.
Our cold fingers and toes eventually thawed.
She held the coffee cup tightly, trying to thaw her frozen fingers.
Noun
flooding from the spring thaw
a thaw in international relations
Recent Examples on the Web
Monica Sanders, Forbes.com, 24 Apr. 2025
The frozen coats were carefully thawed in a water bath and gently separated.
—Tammy Ljungblad, Kansas City Star, 22 Apr. 2025
Alexander Gabuev, Foreign Affairs, 17 Apr. 2025
Receding ice during spring thaw can free carcasses to float to the surface or the shoreline.
—Frederick Melo, Twin Cities, 14 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for thaw
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Verb
So the idea of Thwaites and West Antarctic being unstable are all predicated on the idea that the bed is thawed and that the ice can slide over its bed.
—Monica Sanders, Forbes.com, 24 Apr. 2025
The frozen coats were carefully thawed in a water bath and gently separated.
—Tammy Ljungblad, Kansas City Star, 22 Apr. 2025
Noun
But even if Trump’s overtures to Putin yield a superficial thaw in the U.S.-Russian relationship, Putin’s fundamental mistrust of the West will make a genuine reconciliation impossible.
—Alexander Gabuev, Foreign Affairs, 17 Apr. 2025
Receding ice during spring thaw can free carcasses to float to the surface or the shoreline.
—Frederick Melo, Twin Cities, 14 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for thaw
Cite this Entry
“Thaw.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/thaw. Accessed 30 Apr. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
thaw
1 of 2 verb1
: to melt or cause to melt
ice on the pond is thawing
2
: to become free of the effects of cold temperatures by being exposed to warmth
frozen foods thawed before cooking
thaw
2 of 2 noun1
: the action, fact, or process of thawing
2
: a period of weather warm enough to thaw ice and snow
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