disentangle

verb

dis·​en·​tan·​gle ˌdis-in-ˈtaŋ-gəl How to pronounce disentangle (audio)
disentangled; disentangling; disentangles

transitive verb

: to free from entanglement : unravel
disentanglement noun
Choose the Right Synonym for disentangle

extricate, disentangle, untangle, disencumber, disembarrass mean to free from what binds or holds back.

extricate implies the use of care or ingenuity in freeing from a difficult position or situation.

extricated himself from financial difficulties

disentangle and untangle suggest painstaking separation of a thing from other things.

disentangling fact from fiction
untangle a web of deceit

disencumber implies a release from something that clogs or weighs down.

an article disencumbered of jargon

disembarrass suggests a release from something that impedes or hinders.

disembarrassed herself of her advisers

Examples of disentangle in a Sentence

it took forever to disentangle the knot the years that it took to disentangle ourselves from our troubles after someone started using our social security numbers
Recent Examples on the Web Some companies involved with the crowdfunding have taken action to disentangle themselves from the settlers, Israeli media said. Julia Frankel, Quartz, 22 Feb. 2024 The Biden administration wanted to prioritize what in its view mattered most while declining to disentangle the United States from what mattered less. Stephen Wertheim, Foreign Affairs, 14 Feb. 2024 In the early 21st century, however, Benson took on the arduous task of disentangling the megalosaur mess and providing the dinosaur with a modern description as a doctoral project. Riley Black, Smithsonian Magazine, 8 Feb. 2024 Another proposal, drafted for the Arthur N. Rupe Foundation in May 2022, aimed to dissect how red states could disentangle themselves from federal funding and mandates that, in Claremont’s view, advanced social justice ideology. Nicholas Confessore, New York Times, 20 Jan. 2024 Unfortunately, the precise mechanisms at play are hard to disentangle because the cause of long COVID itself is still cloaked in mystery. Shannon Hall, Scientific American, 3 Jan. 2024 The authors disentangle a fruit bat from a net during the Belize Bat-a-thon. Wei Gordon, Discover Magazine, 12 Jan. 2024 France on Trial: The Case of Marshal Pétain shows Jackson at his best—precise in detail, vivid in imagery, alert to irony, firm in judgment—and carefully disentangles the questions surrounding the Vichy regime that continue to vex French society. Robert O. Paxton, Harper's Magazine, 17 Dec. 2023 The research shows that sabbaticals are healing, such as by enabling people to disentangle their identity from their job title and gaining a greater understanding of what matters most. Holly Corbett, Forbes, 30 Nov. 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'disentangle.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1598, in the meaning defined at transitive sense

Time Traveler
The first known use of disentangle was in 1598

Dictionary Entries Near disentangle

Cite this Entry

“Disentangle.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/disentangle. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

disentangle

verb
dis·​en·​tan·​gle ˌdis-ᵊn-ˈtaŋ-gəl How to pronounce disentangle (audio)
: to straighten out : untangle
disentanglement noun

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