Synonym Chooser

How does the verb disentangle differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of disentangle are disembarrass, disencumber, extricate, and untangle. While all these words mean "to free from what binds or holds back," disentangle and untangle suggest painstaking separation of a thing from other things.

disentangling fact from fiction
untangle a web of deceit

When might disembarrass be a better fit than disentangle?

Although the words disembarrass and disentangle have much in common, disembarrass suggests a release from something that impedes or hinders.

disembarrassed herself of her advisers

When can disencumber be used instead of disentangle?

In some situations, the words disencumber and disentangle are roughly equivalent. However, disencumber implies a release from something that clogs or weighs down.

an article disencumbered of jargon

In what contexts can extricate take the place of disentangle?

The synonyms extricate and disentangle are sometimes interchangeable, but extricate implies the use of care or ingenuity in freeing from a difficult position or situation.

extricated himself from financial difficulties

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of disentangle As my colleague Jeremy Kahn said in Tuesday’s Eye on AI, none of these studies disentangle the effects of AI from the possible effects of the unwinding of the tech hiring boom that took place during the COVID-19 pandemic. Sharon Goldman, Fortune, 4 Sep. 2025 Making use of twin studies, researchers are able to disentangle the impact of genetics from the environment. Philip Salter, Forbes.com, 5 Aug. 2025 The calf was swimming with its mother, trailing fishing gear after workers were able to partially disentangle it. Jennifer Rodriguez, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 17 July 2025 As the show progresses, the book morphs into a potent examination of self-objectification, of the existential tedium of work, and of the disorientation produced by living in a world where what is genuine and what is performance are difficult to disentangle. The New Yorker, New Yorker, 14 July 2025 See All Example Sentences for disentangle
Recent Examples of Synonyms for disentangle
Verb
  • The 2025 Nobel Prize in physiology or medicine has been awarded to a trio of scientists – two of them American and one Japanese – for unraveling how the immune system protects us from thousands of different microbes trying to invade our bodies.
    Katie Hunt, CNN Money, 6 Oct. 2025
  • The Oscar-winning actress stars as Grace, a mother living in Montana who begins to show signs of postpartum psychosis, her mental distress unraveling her relationship with Jackson (Robert Pattinson).
    Ryan Lattanzio, IndieWire, 6 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • This frees up invaluable human time to shape creative ideas and make strategic decisions on where audiences are most likely to engage.
    Derya Matras, Fortune, 4 Oct. 2025
  • Addressing my trauma really is freeing.
    Stephanie Nolasco, FOXNews.com, 4 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • Uranus retrograde in your sign on the 6th may cause some unexpected twists, but these changes are meant to liberate you from old ways of thinking and being.
    Meghan Rose, Glamour, 1 Oct. 2025
  • The film opens in an immigration detention camp, as a band of left-wing political militants known as the French 75 infiltrate the facility to liberate the detained, and detain the military overseers.
    Katie Walsh, Twin Cities, 26 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • He was extricated from his car and flown to Froedtert Hospital by Flight for Life.
    Claudia Levens, jsonline.com, 4 Oct. 2025
  • Sam, Jay and the ghosts attempt to extricate Jay from his deal with Elias Woodstone (Matt Walsh), the devil.
    Jessica Radloff, Glamour, 1 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • The show, so far, has emphasized a clear-eyed approach to its subjects’ misdeeds, but also curiosity about untangling their psyches.
    Daniel D'Addario, Variety, 30 Sep. 2025
  • This premiere has a lot to take care of, introducing new threats while untangling the messy fallout from the season finale.
    Ben Rosenstock, Vulture, 17 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • Truly, the gadget is that girl — capable of smoothing, de-frizzing, and adding effortless bounce to your locks while granting damage-free curls thanks to Shark’s Coanda technology (which automatically wraps strands around the barrel, saving you the time and hassle of DIYing it).
    Stacia Datskovska, Footwear News, 8 Oct. 2025
  • Then in the classroom, OP's son had saved Ella a spot next to him.
    Hannah Sacks, PEOPLE, 8 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • Hull says that some effective safety tweaks to existing chatbots would be relatively simple — they could be programmed to nudge a user to disengage during late-night hours, for instance.
    Miles Klee, Rolling Stone, 1 Oct. 2025
  • Those could show up as working too much, playing too many video games, shutting down, disengaging from their partners.
    CNN Money, CNN Money, 25 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • Redeeming Atmos points The most valuable way to redeem Atmos points is to book award flights with Alaska and its partners.
    David McMillin, CNBC, 8 Oct. 2025
  • Win your first $10 bet when using the BetMGM bonus code WEEK150 in NJ, PA, MI and WV to redeem a $150 bonus.
    Tyler Everett, MSNBC Newsweek, 8 Oct. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Disentangle.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/disentangle. Accessed 9 Oct. 2025.

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