unravel
verb
un·rav·el
ˌən-ˈra-vəl 
unraveled; unraveling; unravels
1
a
: to disengage or separate the threads of : disentangle
b
: to cause to come apart by or as if by separating the threads of
2
: to resolve the intricacy, complexity, or obscurity of : clear up
unravel a mystery
: to become unraveled
Examples of unravel in a Sentence
Scientists are still unraveling the secrets of DNA.
Their plans unraveled when she lost her job.
His frequent absences from home caused his marriage to unravel.
I feel like my life is unraveling.
Recent Examples on the Web
As Beth, Louis-Dreyfus is filled with surface confidence and performs her writerly role with ease—until the smallest crack appears and her sense of self begins to quietly unravel.
—
Travis Bean, Forbes.com, 23 July 2025
Lucy Fry’s Rose, a woman haunted by trauma, ends up checking herself into an inn where reality seems to unravel, blurring the lines between past and present, and waking life and dreams.
—Georg Szalai, HollywoodReporter, 22 July 2025
The stone may be hundreds of years old, but experts are still unraveling some of its secrets.
—Sarah Kuta, Smithsonian Magazine, 17 July 2025
As the brothers reconnect, Henry begins to unravel, plagued by self-doubt and a growing obsession with Patrick’s seemingly charmed existence.
—Stewart Clarke, Deadline, 15 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for unravel
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Travis Bean, Forbes.com, 23 July 2025
Lucy Fry’s Rose, a woman haunted by trauma, ends up checking herself into an inn where reality seems to unravel, blurring the lines between past and present, and waking life and dreams.
—Georg Szalai, HollywoodReporter, 22 July 2025
The stone may be hundreds of years old, but experts are still unraveling some of its secrets.
—Sarah Kuta, Smithsonian Magazine, 17 July 2025
As the brothers reconnect, Henry begins to unravel, plagued by self-doubt and a growing obsession with Patrick’s seemingly charmed existence.
—Stewart Clarke, Deadline, 15 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for unravel
Cite this Entry
“Unravel.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/unravel. Accessed 31 Jul. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
unravel
verb
un·rav·el
ˌən-ˈrav-əl
ˈən-
1
: to separate the threads of : disentangle
unravel a snarl
2
: solve
unravel a mystery
3
: to become unraveled
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