1
as in to fray
to separate the various strands of
it took us forever to unravel the jumbled mass of Christmas tree lights
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to solve
to find an answer for through reasoning
unraveled the mystery
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of unravel
That spring, Harvard began unraveling policies that Dr. Garber and others believed had fueled some of its political problems.
—
Gina Kolata, New York Times, 3 May 2025
The settlement comes as the Trump administration has sought to unravel the Biden administration’s crackdown on those who participated in the riot.
—Ella Lee, The Hill, 2 May 2025
The artwork resembles the shell of a room that is unravelled to form a flat, vertical structure, like a deconstructed box.
—Megan Williams, CNN Money, 1 May 2025
Mitchell turned it over twice more in the next two minutes, and everything quickly unraveled.
—Barry Jackson, Miami Herald, 29 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for unravel
Gina Kolata, New York Times, 3 May 2025
The settlement comes as the Trump administration has sought to unravel the Biden administration’s crackdown on those who participated in the riot.
—Ella Lee, The Hill, 2 May 2025
The artwork resembles the shell of a room that is unravelled to form a flat, vertical structure, like a deconstructed box.
—Megan Williams, CNN Money, 1 May 2025
Mitchell turned it over twice more in the next two minutes, and everything quickly unraveled.
—Barry Jackson, Miami Herald, 29 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for unravel
Recent Examples of Synonyms for unravel
Verb
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Uproar over certain policies and uncertainty surrounding which leader to rally behind have also frayed internal cohesion.—
Anna Commander,
MSNBC Newsweek,
15 May 2025
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The two artists collaborated on numerous projects over the years, but their friendship began to fray after West, 47, voiced support for Donald Trump’s 2016 presidential campaign.—
Mitchell Peters,
Billboard,
11 May 2025
Verb
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Some companies may pivot to domestic manufacturing, but this transition takes time and may not solve the issue.—
Rytis Lauris,
Forbes.com,
8 May 2025
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No other sport has hockey’s TV problems, that HD did not solve.—
Mac Engel,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
8 May 2025
Verb
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Gobert had untangled himself from Podziemski, who fell to the floor.—
Louisa Thomas,
New Yorker,
11 May 2025
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This got nods of agreement from the rest of us, all of whom have experienced the frustration of untangling tech mid-flight.—
Rosie Marder,
Travel + Leisure,
23 Mar. 2025
Verb
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Time zips by breezily, the point of view slides around unpredictably, and more than one plot strand is introduced without ever being resolved.—
Peter C. Baker,
New Yorker,
11 May 2025
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In a settlement of similar claims reached last month in Los Angeles County, officials agreed to pay billions of dollars to resolve thousands of accusations.—
Jeff McDonald,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
11 May 2025
Verb
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But Hogg, a Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School shooting survivor who aims to reform the Democratic Party, claimed Monday that the committee vote can't be disentangled from his dispute with the party.—
Brittany Shepherd,
ABC News,
13 May 2025
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Brexit’s drag on the British economy is no longer much debated, though its effects have been at times hard to disentangle from subsequent shocks delivered by the coronavirus pandemic, the war in Ukraine and, now, Mr. Trump’s tariffs.—
Mark Landler,
New York Times,
13 Apr. 2025
Verb
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The spokesperson did not immediately answer the AP's questions regarding the practicality and feasibility of reopening Alcatraz or the agency's role in the future of the former prison given the National Park Service's control of the island.—
Lucia I Suarez Sang,
CBS News,
4 May 2025
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But his rebuke of Trump's policies answered one of Wall Street's biggest questions of this weekend: Would Buffett weigh in on the trade war and its massive disruptions?—
Maria Aspan,
NPR,
3 May 2025
Verb
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Twist hair onto the barrel, holding for a few seconds near the root, and then untwist.—
Claire Sullivan,
WWD,
3 Sep. 2019
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In rare cases, a volvulus can partially resolve on its own if the twist or obstruction is not severe and the intestine untwists spontaneously.—
Sarah Jividen,
Health,
22 Sep. 2024
Verb
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What’s more, giving yourself space to rest and introspect could help you unsnarl a problem that’s been weighing you down lately.—
Chicago Tribune,
Chicago Tribune,
22 Aug. 2022
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Supply chains have started to unsnarl, and commodity prices for oil and some grains have dipped after surging amid Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.—
Jeanna Smialek,
New York Times,
15 Sep. 2022
Cite this Entry
“Unravel.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/unravel. Accessed 22 May. 2025.
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