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 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
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On many systems, deleting them merely removes their addresses from a registry, freeing the space to be overwritten.—
Julian Lucas,
New Yorker,
20 Apr. 2026
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For truly tight quarters, a Murphy bed folds up against the wall when not in use, freeing the entire floor for daytime activities.—
Lauren Jarvis-Gibson,
Sacbee.com,
14 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Sara Doody Mid-Century Lift-Top Coffee Table Apartment dwellers will love this space-saving coffee table with a convenient lift-top that doubles as a kitchen table and work desk.—
Ali Faccenda,
PEOPLE,
17 Apr. 2026
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That same year, he was awarded the commissioner’s unit citation for saving the lives of multiple residents during a six-alarm fire, the mayor’s office said.—
Gayla Cawley,
Boston Herald,
16 Apr. 2026
Verb
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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
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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
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While firefighters were rescuing two people from the roof, crews found two more people in a second-story bathroom and brought them out through a window, according to the release.—
Kendrick Calfee
Updated April 18,
Kansas City Star,
18 Apr. 2026
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His second commissioner’s unit citation came in 2013, for rescuing several people trapped in a bus with severe roof damage, the mayor’s office said.—
Gayla Cawley,
Boston Herald,
16 Apr. 2026
Verb
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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
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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
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 22 Apr. 2026.
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