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
Synonyms
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
Jessie Yeung, CNN, 26 June 2024
Ice Cube’s fourth Friday movie is finally thawing out.
—Wesley Stenzel, EW.com, 25 June 2024
Lainey Seyler, Journal Sentinel, 23 May 2024
But how, exactly, permafrost thaw is turning these rivers orange has been a mystery.
—Alec Luhn, Scientific American, 1 Jan. 2024
See all Example Sentences for thaw 
Verb
Relations between the two countries thawed somewhat in 2017 and 2018, allowing some South Korean elements, including parts of its pop culture, to seep into the hermit nation.
—Jessie Yeung, CNN, 26 June 2024
Ice Cube’s fourth Friday movie is finally thawing out.
—Wesley Stenzel, EW.com, 25 June 2024
Noun
In Milwaukee, the herald of winter’s thaw is not that growing patch of green on a lawn or the first magnolia blossom peeling open or that last crusty pile of parking lot snow.
—Lainey Seyler, Journal Sentinel, 23 May 2024
But how, exactly, permafrost thaw is turning these rivers orange has been a mystery.
—Alec Luhn, Scientific American, 1 Jan. 2024
See all Example Sentences for thaw
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'thaw.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Articles Related to thaw
Dictionary Entries Near thaw
Cite this Entry
“Thaw.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/thaw. Accessed 7 Jul. 2024.
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
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share