as in freeing
to set free from entanglement or difficulty
you've woven such a web of lies that it's hard to see how you can extricate yourself now
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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 extricating
The Fort Worth Fire Department was called to the scene to help with extricating four people from the vehicle, according to the statement.
—
Lillie Davidson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 15 Mar. 2026
The alternating timelines force the writers to do a lot of strained connection-building that, around midseason, ceases to be effective; the makers of Scarpetta were very smart about joining the murders narratively, but much less smart about extricating themselves creatively.
—Daniel Fienberg, HollywoodReporter, 10 Mar. 2026
In Delhi, there was a growing awareness by middle powers of the need to build their own AI capability — whether in training their own models, designing their own chips, or extricating themselves from the convenient but risky grip of Silicon Valley software giants.
—Billy Perrigo, Time, 20 Feb. 2026
The unit's soldiers train to operate in frigid conditions, like driving special cold weather vehicles and extricating themselves from icy waters.
—Cybele Mayes-Osterman, USA Today, 20 Jan. 2026
Lillie Davidson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 15 Mar. 2026
The alternating timelines force the writers to do a lot of strained connection-building that, around midseason, ceases to be effective; the makers of Scarpetta were very smart about joining the murders narratively, but much less smart about extricating themselves creatively.
—Daniel Fienberg, HollywoodReporter, 10 Mar. 2026
In Delhi, there was a growing awareness by middle powers of the need to build their own AI capability — whether in training their own models, designing their own chips, or extricating themselves from the convenient but risky grip of Silicon Valley software giants.
—Billy Perrigo, Time, 20 Feb. 2026
The unit's soldiers train to operate in frigid conditions, like driving special cold weather vehicles and extricating themselves from icy waters.
—Cybele Mayes-Osterman, USA Today, 20 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for extricating
Verb
-
Island shelving provides storage for items that would otherwise be on countertops, freeing up more space.—
Mary Cornetta,
Better Homes & Gardens,
12 Apr. 2026
-
Two officials within the militia, who spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to comment publicly, told the Associated Press that in exchange for freeing Kittleson, several members of the group who had previously been detained by Iraqi authorities would be released.—
Todd Richmond,
Los Angeles Times,
8 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Officers began life-saving measures and requested an ambulance to respond to the scene.—
Kansas City Star,
Kansas City Star,
9 Apr. 2026
-
Harvesting rainwater has many benefits from saving money on your water bill to utilizing what freely falls from the sky for times when raindrops aren’t so abundant.—
Lauren David,
Southern Living,
9 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Because what was bad for his bank account was fantastic for his creative freedom, liberating Ehrenreich, who had been trapped on the anesthetizing career trajectory that’s a prerequisite for movie stardom, to embrace his wild side.—
Brent Lang,
Variety,
7 Apr. 2026
-
If everything went right, the OpenAI founders believed, artificial intelligence could usher in a post-scarcity utopia, automating grunt work, curing cancer, and liberating people to enjoy lives of leisure and abundance.—
Ronan Farrow,
New Yorker,
6 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Others praised troopers for stepping in to help, applauding authorities for rescuing the vulnerable cub and ensuring it was placed in proper care.—
Kelly McGreal,
FOXNews.com,
3 Apr. 2026
-
Images broadcast by Colombian media showed people crying while helping or rescuing those who were trapped, vehicles in flames and destroyed.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
1 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Since then, the two countries have taken several steps to normalize relations, including restarting flights and disengaging troops along the border.—
Priyanka Salve,
CNBC,
7 Apr. 2026
-
Then their subject starts to flirt with the idea of disengaging and moving to a like-minded nudist community, even relocating for a few days to test the new setup out.—
Alison Herman,
Variety,
13 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
The fundamental goal of the 1787 Constitution was to establish a republican form of government — and that meant disentangling the traditional powers of the monarch and placing them in different branches of government.—
David French,
Mercury News,
3 Mar. 2026
-
Embedded in a patriarchal family within an oppressive society, Mrie faces the challenge of disentangling herself from both.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
24 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Extricating.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/extricating. Accessed 13 Apr. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
