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 of untangle

• unravel

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

Sondheim got to work at eight o’clock one night, devising a version of the murder game in which all the players would have to use their wits to untangle the mystery. —Michael Schulman, New Yorker, 15 Dec. 2025

Gently shake them out one at a time to untangle and loosen them, and add them separately to the dryer rather than transferring a large pile. —Karen Brewer Grossman, Southern Living, 14 Dec. 2025

The parachutist was able to untangle the lines and gain control, before landing safely on the ground with only minor injuries, according to the ATSB. —CBS News, 12 Dec. 2025

He’s spent weeks untangling a conspiracy that began with the Atwater Protocol and spilled blood from Washington to the tundra, and now the consequences of that secrecy have literally landed at his doorstep. —Jp Mangalindan, Time, 5 Dec. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1550, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for untangle

• angle
• bangle
• dangle
• jangle
• mangle
• strangle
• tangle
• wrangle
• disentangle
• entangle
• quadrangle
• triangle

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