ravel

verb

rav·el | \ ˈra-vəl

raveled or ravelled; raveling or ravelling\ ˈrav-liŋ

, ˈra-və- \

Definition of ravel

(Entry 1 of 3)

intransitive verb

1 : to become unwoven, untwisted, or unwound : fray

2 : break up, crumble

3 obsolete : to become entangled or confused

transitive verb

1a : to separate or undo the texture of : unravel

b : to undo the intricacies of : disentangle

2 : entangle, confuse

ravel

noun

Definition of ravel (Entry 2 of 3)

: an act or result of raveling: such as

a : something tangled

b : something raveled out specifically : a loose thread

Ravel

biographical name

Ra·vel | \ rə-ˈvel

, ra-\

Definition of Ravel (Entry 3 of 3)

(Joseph) Mau*rice \ mȯ-ˈrēs

\ 1875–1937 French composer

Other Words from ravel Example Sentences Learn More about ravel

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Other Words from ravel

Verb

raveler \ ˈrav-lər

, ˈra-və- \ noun

ravelment \ ˈra-vəl-mənt

\ noun

Biographical name

Ravelian \ rə-ˈve-lyən

, ra- , -lē-ən \ adjective

Examples of ravel in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web: Verb

Now, with many New Yorkers complaining that life in New York is raveling under Mr. Bloomberg’s progressive successor, Bill de Blasio, a top Bloomberg lieutenant is telling his version of how the city was revitalized. — Edward Kosner, WSJ, "The Gotham Growth Spurt," 11 Sep. 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'ravel.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.