untie

verb

un·​tie ˌən-ˈtī 

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

Synonyms

• unbind
• undo
• unfasten
• unlash

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

The numerous tales at hand are indubitably enchanting and give us a tough knot to untie. —Lance Eliot, Forbes.com, 4 Apr. 2025

The film’s producers spent the summer of 2024 untying a sticky legal predicament (buying out an ownership stake by Kinematics, a production company bankrolled by billionaire Trump supporter Dan Snyder). —Chris Lee, Vulture, 20 Mar. 2025

The studio is littered with props: water guns, Hula-Hoops, foam pool noodles, flip-flops, New Balance sneakers with the laces untied. —Chloe Schama, Vogue, 11 Mar. 2025

In almost no time Sophie and Laura had managed to untie one knot, only to find a tighter and far more perplexing one at its center. —Hannah Gold, Harper's Magazine, 19 Feb. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

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

Rhymes for untie

• ai
• aye
• bae
• bi
• buy
• by
• bye
• chai
• chi
• cry
• die
• dry

Kids Definition

untie

verb

un·​tie ˌən-ˈtī 

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