untie

verb

un·​tie ˌən-ˈtī How to pronounce untie (audio)
untied; untying or untieing

transitive verb

1
: to free from something that ties, fastens, or restrains : unbind
untied our hands
2
a
: to disengage the knotted parts of
untie a shoe
b
: disentangle, resolve
untie a traffic jam

intransitive verb

: to become loosened or unbound

Examples of untie in a Sentence

He untied the package and opened it. She untied the horse from the post.
Recent Examples on the Web Reader reviews regularly highlight his candid storytelling and aptitude for untying the knottiness of human behavior. Jason Parham, WIRED, 13 Sep. 2023 To that point, the Brewers hadn't scored, either, but the 0-0 game would get untied in the ninth when Rob Deer and Ernie Riles registered two-out RBI singles. Jr Radcliffe, Journal Sentinel, 6 Sep. 2023 The plunging swim top was left mostly untied as the Magic Mike's Last Dance star posed for a stairwell selfie that speaks for itself. Emily Tannenbaum, Glamour, 31 Aug. 2023 The moment is a knot of complication that Bilger seeks to untie. Fintan O’Toole, The New York Review of Books, 20 July 2023 Head’s right shoe was fully on his foot, but untied, while the left shoe was tied, but slipping off the heel, Graf testified. Shelley Jones, Chicago Tribune, 16 Aug. 2023 The new agreement untied his personal loans from IEP’s share performance. Crystal Tse, Fortune, 5 Aug. 2023 Soon after, the migrants untied the rope and restarted the engine. Renata Brito, ajc, 17 June 2023 That said, the Based on a True Story season 1 finale left more than a few strings untied. Jacqueline Saguin, Good Housekeeping, 24 June 2023 See More

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'untie.' 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

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of untie was before the 12th century

Dictionary Entries Near untie

Cite this Entry

“Untie.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/untie. Accessed 25 Sep. 2023.

Kids Definition

untie

verb
un·​tie ˌən-ˈtī How to pronounce untie (audio)
ˈən-
untied; untying or untieing
1
: to free from something that ties or fastens : unbind
untie a horse
2
a
: to undo the knotted parts of
untied her scarf
b
: to straighten out : resolve
untie a traffic jam
3
: to become loosened or unbound
the strings untied easily

More from Merriam-Webster on untie

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