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

• 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

There is an opportunity that the president's leadership can untangle us from all of these tariff issues, because there's all kinds of economic evidence that our industry here in the U.S. thrives with a zero-for-zero tariff. —Olivia Evans, The Courier-Journal, 28 Aug. 2025

Despite this incredible growth, competitors and naysayers framed this as simply a step in the migratory process as large customers look to untangle their VMware dependence — a process that inevitably takes time. —Patrick Moorhead, Forbes.com, 26 Aug. 2025

While more research is needed to untangle exactly how exercise interacts with the microbiome, this study provides evidence that training intensity itself plays a role. —New Atlas, 25 Aug. 2025

Many modern and contemporary writers are drawn to the villanelle as a way to circle around their subject matter, exploring obsession, enchantment, brooding, or the slow work of untangling a difficult emotion. —The Editors, JSTOR Daily, 19 Aug. 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