1
as in to fray
to separate the various strands of
it took us forever to unravel the jumbled mass of Christmas tree lights
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to solve
to find an answer for through reasoning
unraveled the mystery
Synonyms & Similar Words
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 unravel
Add in Noah Östlund’s Game 4 injury, and how that could unravel the progress the Sabres’ power play was making, and there is an opening here for Boston to take advantage of.
—
Shayna Goldman, New York Times, 30 Apr. 2026
In that vein, the five plaintiffs — who also are looking to unravel last year’s Paramount acquisition of Skydance — are going right to the math.
—Dominic Patten, Deadline, 30 Apr. 2026
Olivia Rodrigo has unveiled her unraveling.
—Andrea Dresdale, ABC News, 30 Apr. 2026
That arrangement, however, began to unravel after Sportico reported in late September on its financial terms, which critics viewed as disproportionately favorable to Blueprint.
—Daniel Libit, Sportico.com, 29 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for unravel
Shayna Goldman, New York Times, 30 Apr. 2026
In that vein, the five plaintiffs — who also are looking to unravel last year’s Paramount acquisition of Skydance — are going right to the math.
—Dominic Patten, Deadline, 30 Apr. 2026
Olivia Rodrigo has unveiled her unraveling.
—Andrea Dresdale, ABC News, 30 Apr. 2026
That arrangement, however, began to unravel after Sportico reported in late September on its financial terms, which critics viewed as disproportionately favorable to Blueprint.
—Daniel Libit, Sportico.com, 29 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for unravel
Recent Examples of Synonyms for unravel
Verb
-
The writer is expected to bond with a new steward who had no part in the original creative conversation, who may have entirely different instincts about the material, and who inherits a relationship already frayed by the impersonal mechanics of a deal that took forever to close.—
George Heller,
HollywoodReporter,
6 May 2026
-
Daniel still has these tracings today, rolled tightly and frayed at the edges.—
Emilie Hardman,
JSTOR Daily,
6 May 2026
Verb
-
The best lip liners for mature lips solve a problem that goes beyond smudging.—
Micaela English,
Glamour,
30 Apr. 2026
-
Pip is back to solve another case in season 2 of the beloved Good Girl's Guide series based on books by Holly Jackson.—
Madeleine Janz,
PEOPLE,
30 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Mosquitoes really do play favorites — and the reasons reveal a fascinating tangle of genetics, body chemistry and evolutionary tracking that scientists are still untangling.—
Ryan Brennan
May 1,
Sacbee.com,
1 May 2026
-
There remain other, muddled storylines across this LIV timeline that won’t get untangled.—
Dave Hyde,
Sun Sentinel,
30 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Let the conversation unfold without rushing to resolve it.—
Tarot.com,
Sun Sentinel,
30 Apr. 2026
-
But Sessions testified that Exxon’s lawyers refused to negotiate directly with senior Venezuelan officials to resolve their legal dispute, which was going through arbitration in the International Court of Justice.—
Miami Herald,
Miami Herald,
30 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
The single-system design would be costly to disentangle — if possible at all.—
Jennifer Van Grove,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
14 Apr. 2026
-
Veterinarians then assessed whether Meatloaf could be safely disentangled in the water or needed to be brought in for further care, Jaros said.—
Cierra Morgan,
Los Angeles Times,
9 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
In my case, that often means answering questions about trees, shrubs, flowers, lawns, and the labor-intensive world of turfgrass management.—
Markis Hill,
Kansas City Star,
3 May 2026
-
These are questions that absolutely need to be answered.—
Jack Fink,
CBS News,
3 May 2026
Verb
-
In a feat of precision physics, researchers from Cornell and Stanford Universities have filmed atoms twisting and untwisting in perfect sync, a choreography that unfolds in just a trillionth of a second.—
Neetika Walter,
Interesting Engineering,
12 Nov. 2025
-
In rare cases, a volvulus can partially resolve on its own if the twist or obstruction is not severe and the intestine untwists spontaneously.—
Sarah Jividen,
Health,
22 Sep. 2024
Verb
-
How to unsnarl the emotions that play tug-of-war with our souls?—
Michael Schulman,
New Yorker,
15 Dec. 2025
-
During the recent supply-chain crisis, XPO helped unsnarl bottlenecks for customers in several industries.—
Joann S. Lublin,
Time,
27 Nov. 2022
Cite this Entry
“Unravel.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/unravel. Accessed 7 May. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
