untied; untying or untieing
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
: 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
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.
Copy Citation
Kids Definition
More from Merriam-Webster on untie
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share