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to unkink

to unkink

1 5.8
To make a hose, wire, or rope straight by removing bends
  • verb
  • /ʌnˈkɪŋk/
translation icon : desenrollar
  • He took a moment to unkink the garden hose before watering the plants.
  • unkink a hose

Examples

  • The girl sat the baby in a nearby armchair and started unkinking a tangled power cord running to a pair of headphones.

    Fiction book (1996)
  • Dick Sherman bent and stretched, unkinked his legs, and reached his arms over his head, while Tom Guthrie stood behind the gutted horse, looking at the two boys.

    Fiction book (1998)
  • After a long car ride, she needed to unkink her legs by stretching them out.

  • To prevent the cable from getting damaged, make sure to unkink it after use.

Synonyms

to straighten
vsto unkink
114 2.5

Make something straight and in the right position

applies to fixing small folds or tight loops rather than posture
to straighten out
vsto unkink
11 2.9

To make something free of bends, twists, or knots

is narrower, used for fixing small sharp folds and tight turns
to unwind
vsto unkink
5 3.7

Make a wrapped or twisted thing loose and straight

focuses on removing small folds and tight loops rather than unwrapping
to uncoil
vsto unkink
3 3.7

To make something that is rolled or curled become straight

is used more often for removing small folds and loops from spiraled items
to untwist
vsto unkink
2 3.7

To make something that is twisted become straight

is mainly for removing small sharp folds rather than loose turns
to uncurl
vsto unkink
2 3.2

To move from a rolled or folded shape into a more open form

is used for removing tight turns and folds rather than only opening rolls
to unbend
vsto unkink
4.9

Make a part straight after it becomes curved

is used for removing tight turns and small loops rather than gentle curves

How Straight

to iron out
1 3.1
to straighten
114 2.5
to unkink
1 5.8
to untwist
2 3.7
to flatten
23 2.6

Surface Forms

unkink infinitive
unkinked past
unkinked past participle
unkinking present participle
unkinks third person singular

Morphology

unkink = kink (transparent) = un + kink

Meaning is a straightforward negative/reversative: 'un-' + 'kink' = remove a kink, which learners can deduce from knowing 'kink'.

Etymology

Unkink comes from un- meaning 'remove' and kink meaning 'twist' or 'bend', so it is like 'remove the twist' from something — imagine straightening a kinked hose or wire. That's why to unkink something is to make it straight again.