EXTRICATING Synonyms: 32 Similar and Opposite Words

extricating

verb

present participle of extricate

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

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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 vehicle ended up in a driveway where an off-duty firefighter stopped to help, extricating Orowson from the Honda, according to state police. — Justin Muszynski, Hartford Courant, 31 Aug. 2026 Not that extricating supply chains from China is sufficient in today’s nativist political climate. — Charlie Campbell, Time, 18 Aug. 2026 After largely extricating itself from Iraq in 2011, the United States had to send troops back in 2014 to fight the Islamic State, or ISIS, which emerged from the post-invasion chaos. — Michael Fuchs, Foreign Affairs, 6 Aug. 2026 But when specifically asked whether any Americans have been exposed to Ebola, and whether the government is planning on extricating them from the DRC, the CDC’s incident manager, Satish Pillai, did not answer the questions. — Helen Branswell, STAT, 17 May 2026 Part of the experiment involves Mesler willingly extricating himself from Kordansky’s gallery roster. — Daniel Cassady, ARTnews.com, 14 May 2026 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 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

United regularly exploited Everton’s 4-1-4-1 system, sending runners down the side of Garner as the solitary No 6 and freeing Rashford in his mismatch up against Rohl.

— Patrick Boyland, New York Times, 6 Sep. 2026
Her existence is solitary by design, freeing her up to disappear into her studies at all hours of the night, the doors of every institution seemingly always ready to welcome her into its stacks and viewing stations and leather reading chairs.

— Alison Willmore, Vulture, 3 Sep. 2026

Definition of freeing

Verb

And yet, liberating writing from the capitalist ethic has its own value.

— M. C. Mah, Literary Hub, 19 Aug. 2026
For Russian propagandists, the Azov Brigade, which began as a nationalist militia, was shorthand for the supposedly fascist influences from which Vladimir Putin claimed to be liberating Ukraine.

— Joshua Yaffa, New Yorker, 10 Aug. 2026

Definition of liberating

Verb

Officials said a good Samaritan vessel also stepped in, rescuing the 15-year-old survivor and recovering the bodies of the two deceased mariners from the water.

— Bonny Chu, FOXNews.com, 10 Sep. 2026
The win over Hapoel was particularly dramatic, with Sabah’s Tellur Mutallimov rescuing the tie in the fourth minute of stoppage time at the end of the second leg as Sabah went on to win in extra time.

— Colin Millar, New York Times, 10 Sep. 2026

Definition of rescuing

Verb

In reality, Loesby contends, many struggles reflect predictable structural mismatches — a lawyer who prefers depth and analysis struggling in a role that rewards constant responsiveness, or one who thrives on collaboration disengaging in isolation.

— Malana VanTyler, USA Today, 26 Aug. 2026
Tolerating Chinese regional hegemony would throw East Asian allies under the bus, and disengaging from the Middle East would leave Israel to fend for itself.

— Leonard A. Schuette, Foreign Affairs, 25 Aug. 2026

Definition of disengaging

Verb

Cutting Iran off completely from the UAE could deal a serious blow to the Islamic Republic’s economy — but experts say disentangling the pair’s commercial ties could prove difficult.

— semafor.com, semafor.com, 20 Aug. 2026
New characters and backstory details are dropped in before existing loose ends are tied up, resulting in unclear motivations and convoluted layers of subplot that, ultimately, do not prove relevant enough to have been worth disentangling.

— Jared Kaufman, Twin Cities, 9 Aug. 2026

Definition of disentangling

Browse Nearby Words

extricates

extricating

extrication

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“Extricating.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/extricating. Accessed 14 Sep. 2026.

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Synonyms of extricating

verb

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