unring a bell

verb

To reverse the irreversible; to perform the impossible.

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Meanings

verbunring a bell (third-person singular simple present unrings a bell, present participle unringing a bell, simple past unrang a bell, past participle unrung a bell)

present singular third person unrings a bell · participle present unringing a bell · past unrang a bell · participle past unrung a bell

  1. idiomaticTo reverse the irreversible; to perform the impossible.

    "We can't unring any bells here. There's no point in trying to second-guess anyone right now. What's done is done."

    2004, Fern Michaels, The Real Deal, page 413
    1 more example

    “We move for a mistrial based on the testimony this morning,” Blanche said. “There’s no way to unring that bell, in our view.”

    2024 May 7, Victoria Bekiempis, quoting Todd Blanche, “Trump hush-money trial: Stormy Daniels describes being ‘startled’ by sexual encounter”, in The Guardian, →ISSN

Synonyms & antonyms

Also see
put the genie back in the bottle
Cite this entry
APA

unring a bell. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/unring%20a%20bell

MLA

“unring a bell.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/unring%20a%20bell. Accessed November 5, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “unring a bell,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/unring%20a%20bell.

Source: unring a bell on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.