untangle

verb

un·​tan·​gle ˌən-ˈtaŋ-gəl 

untangled; untangling; untangles

transitive verb

: to loose from tangles or entanglement : straighten out

untangle a knot

untangle a mystery

Synonyms

• disentangle
• ravel (out)
• unbraid
• unlay
• unravel
• unsnarl
• untwine
• untwist
• unweave

Choose the Right Synonym for untangle

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 untangle in a Sentence

She carefully untangled the child's hair.

He untangled the garden hose.

Recent Examples on the Web

The causes of Baltimore’s overdose crisis are difficult to untangle, Weintraub said. —Madeleine O'Neill, Baltimore Sun, 2 Aug. 2024

Florida State and Clemson have taken the ACC to court in an attempt to untangle the grant-of-rights agreement that binds the conference together. —Jon Wilner, The Mercury News, 4 Aug. 2024

His uncanny ability to untangle complex mathematical knots, showcased through a challenge set by his professor (Cusack), doesn’t go unnoticed. —Patrick Frater, Variety, 31 July 2024

That downturn comes from two sources — orders from on high and individual officers on the street — that can be hard to untangle. —Emily Badger, New York Times, 29 July 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1550, in the meaning defined above

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