Unring
verb ·2 syllables ·Rare ·Advanced level
Definitions
- 1 Hypothetically, to reverse the act of ringing, or the consequences of the action. transitive
"In a criminal trial, if the prosecution brings in inadmissible evidence that would unfairly prejudice the accused, a mistrial may be warranted. Having the judge admonish the jury to disregard the evidence might not be enough, as the saying goes, 'You can't unring the bell.'"
- 2 To remove a ring from. poetic, transitive
"Her lofty song commands in thrilling strains That new-raised woman snap her rusty chains, Unring her finger and unbind her breast."
Example
More examples"In a criminal trial, if the prosecution brings in inadmissible evidence that would unfairly prejudice the accused, a mistrial may be warranted. Having the judge admonish the jury to disregard the evidence might not be enough, as the saying goes, 'You can't unring the bell.'"
Etymology
From un- + ring.
Related phrases
More for "unring"
Data sourced from Wiktionary, WordNet, CMU, and other open linguistic databases. Updated March 2026.