detangle

verb

de·​tan·​gle (ˌ)dē-ˈtaŋ-gəl 

detangled; detangling; detangles

transitive verb

: to remove tangles from

Always detangle wet hair gently with a wide-toothed comb.

—Elle

Detangle and lay out all your light strings. Check for frayed wires and broken bulbs and repair or replace as needed.

—Samantha Mazzotta

detangler noun

plural detanglers

Cream rinses are not designed to adhere to the hair for any length of time but are just there to assist with the combing out (detanglers, in effect).

—Allison Leopold

Examples of detangle in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Made specifically for animal hair and other pet messes, this Dyson is easy to move around, has a brush made to detangle hair, and whole-machine filtration. —Nashia Baker, Architectural Digest, 28 Nov. 2025

The Lesse wide-tooth comb is her daily essential to detangle wet or dry hair. —Kiana Murden, Vogue, 26 Nov. 2025

With its unique bristle pattern that easily glides through thick ‘dos, as well as flexibility in the bristles themselves, detangling is possible in less than a minute. —Stacia Datskovska, Footwear News, 25 Nov. 2025

Other common mistakes include brushing or combing the hair too aggressively, or slicking down hair that isn’t fully detangled, according to Cole. —Grace McCarty, Glamour, 18 Nov. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1882, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for detangle

• angle
• bangle
• dangle
• jangle
• mangle
• strangle
• tangle
• wrangle
• disentangle
• entangle
• quadrangle
• triangle