untangle
verb
un·tan·gle
ˌən-ˈtaŋ-gəl 
untangled; untangling; untangles
: to loose from tangles or entanglement : straighten out
untangle a knot
untangle a mystery
Synonyms
Examples of untangle in a Sentence
She carefully untangled the child's hair.
He untangled the garden hose.
Recent Examples on the Web
The proposal comes as the Big Four accounting firm continues to work to untangle the mess left by its decision in April to scrap plans to split auditing and consulting into two different firms.
—
Mark Maurer, WSJ, 6 Nov. 2023
In any biopic, there are bound to be creative deviations from the strictly factual but with a subject like Nyad, who has been proven to be an occasionally unreliable narrator of her own life story, such questions are particularly tricky to untangle.
—Josh Rottenberg, Los Angeles Times, 3 Nov. 2023
The finding is in line with other research, such as a study in Nature in 2021 that analyzed 2,000 years’ worth of Chinese history, untangling the relationship between climate disruptions and the collapse of dynasties.
—WIRED, 21 Oct. 2023
As in most subjects related to content moderation, untangling the various equities involved can be very difficult.
—Casey Newton, The Verge, 20 Oct. 2023
Trying to untangle a half-billion-dollar estate is a formidable task under the best of circumstances.
—Ava Benny-Morrison, Fortune, 17 Nov. 2023
For decades, scientists have been trying to untangle puzzling questions over male fertility.
—Evan Bush, NBC News, 15 Nov. 2023
All of it can feel like an impossible knot to untangle
In this case, members of the team had to decide who was responsible for what happened in a server gone bad.
—Casey Newton, The Verge, 20 Oct. 2023
Large fees are common in corporate bankruptcies, which require complex and time-intensive legal work to untangle.
—Yiwen Lu, New York Times, 5 Sep. 2023
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Mark Maurer, WSJ, 6 Nov. 2023
In any biopic, there are bound to be creative deviations from the strictly factual but with a subject like Nyad, who has been proven to be an occasionally unreliable narrator of her own life story, such questions are particularly tricky to untangle.
—Josh Rottenberg, Los Angeles Times, 3 Nov. 2023
The finding is in line with other research, such as a study in Nature in 2021 that analyzed 2,000 years’ worth of Chinese history, untangling the relationship between climate disruptions and the collapse of dynasties.
—WIRED, 21 Oct. 2023
As in most subjects related to content moderation, untangling the various equities involved can be very difficult.
—Casey Newton, The Verge, 20 Oct. 2023
Trying to untangle a half-billion-dollar estate is a formidable task under the best of circumstances.
—Ava Benny-Morrison, Fortune, 17 Nov. 2023
For decades, scientists have been trying to untangle puzzling questions over male fertility.
—Evan Bush, NBC News, 15 Nov. 2023
All of it can feel like an impossible knot to untangle
In this case, members of the team had to decide who was responsible for what happened in a server gone bad.
—Casey Newton, The Verge, 20 Oct. 2023
Large fees are common in corporate bankruptcies, which require complex and time-intensive legal work to untangle.
—Yiwen Lu, New York Times, 5 Sep. 2023
See More
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'untangle.' 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
1550, in the meaning defined above
Dictionary Entries Near untangle
Cite this Entry
“Untangle.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/untangle. Accessed 8 Dec. 2023.
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Kids Definition
untangle
verb
un·tan·gle
ˌən-ˈtaŋ-gəl
ˈən-
1
: to remove a tangle from : disentangle
untangle a knot
2
: to straighten out : resolve
untangle a mystery
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