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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Recent Examples of extricating
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
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
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Ryan Poles was busy this week freeing up salary-cap space.—
Sean Hammond,
Chicago Tribune,
8 Mar. 2026
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Those softer skills may become even more valuable as AI becomes more prevalent, freeing up time to spend on deeper relationships and more clients.—
Allison Schrager,
Twin Cities,
8 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Rising commodity prices and disruptions to global supply chains sparked by the war in Iran threatened the delivery of life-saving aid, the UN argued.—
Jeronimo Gonzalez,
semafor.com,
12 Mar. 2026
-
Global Entry allows preapproved, low-risk travelers to use expedited kiosks -- for a fee -- when entering the United States from abroad, saving them time at airports and other ports of entry.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
12 Mar. 2026
Verb
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The process is prescriptive, but the effect is liberating.—
Emma Madden,
Los Angeles Times,
2 Mar. 2026
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Both were premised on the idea of frictionless ease, liberating their users from outmoded toils.—
Jake Lundberg,
The Atlantic,
19 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Within two minutes, Phoenix police arrived at the scene, taking the woman into custody and rescuing the child.—
Sydney Page The Washington Post,
Arkansas Online,
8 Mar. 2026
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Animal Services asked for help either fostering, adopting or rescuing the dogs to free up kennel space.—
Matthew Rodriguez,
CBS News,
7 Mar. 2026
Verb
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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
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Emotional fatigue builds and high performers start rationing effort or quietly disengaging.—
Mark Murphy,
Forbes.com,
30 Jan. 2026
Verb
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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
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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 14 Mar. 2026.
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