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
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to solve
to find an answer for through reasoning
unraveled the mystery
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of unravel
Javier Bardem and Penélope Cruz play a couple whose lives start to unravel when Bardem, a star architect, takes on a commission to build a bunker for a reclusive billionaire.
—
Scott Roxborough, HollywoodReporter, 18 Mar. 2026
Under federal law, that can mean losing up to 25% of your disposable income every pay period, which could unravel your budget even further.
—Angelica Leicht, CBS News, 17 Mar. 2026
What initially appears to be a fresh start soon unravels into a dangerous game of secrets, manipulation, and shifting power dynamics.
—Denise Petski, Deadline, 16 Mar. 2026
After the Soviet Union’s collapse in 1991, Cuba’s economy unraveled, shrinking by about 35%.
—Carmen Sesin, NBC news, 16 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for unravel
Scott Roxborough, HollywoodReporter, 18 Mar. 2026
Under federal law, that can mean losing up to 25% of your disposable income every pay period, which could unravel your budget even further.
—Angelica Leicht, CBS News, 17 Mar. 2026
What initially appears to be a fresh start soon unravels into a dangerous game of secrets, manipulation, and shifting power dynamics.
—Denise Petski, Deadline, 16 Mar. 2026
After the Soviet Union’s collapse in 1991, Cuba’s economy unraveled, shrinking by about 35%.
—Carmen Sesin, NBC news, 16 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for unravel
Recent Examples of Synonyms for unravel
Verb
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Friendships fraying, puberty unevenly invading our bodies in ways both private and horrifically public.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
18 Mar. 2026
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However, the bedding itself has held up well without any fraying threads or color fading.—
Nashia Baker,
Architectural Digest,
17 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Did the young Kay solve her cases badly all those years ago?—
Graham Hillard,
The Washington Examiner,
20 Mar. 2026
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Huang is optimistic about the power of AI, and believes agents are a critical building block on the road to solving some of humanity’s most complex questions.—
Jake Angelo,
Fortune,
19 Mar. 2026
Verb
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But this new use of outside appointments for post-conviction work has posed an unusual dispute for Colon-Sayre to untangle.—
Madeline Buckley,
Chicago Tribune,
16 Mar. 2026
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Rebecca Sheppard specializes in untangling other people’s financial messes.—
Joel Jacobs,
CNN Money,
11 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Many thought the Afghan Taliban’s return to power in 2021 would resolve this tension.—
Rabia Akhtar,
The Conversation,
20 Mar. 2026
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Ziegler said the fact that employers and plan sponsors are not mentioned among health care entities in the text of the Weldon Amendment could give Democrats an edge with their interpretation, but the question has yet to be resolved in court.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
19 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Provocative journalist and interviewer of the powerful There were those for whom art could not be disentangled from life, whose creations, often read as confessions, were intrinsically connected to their identities.—
Amisha Padnani,
New York Times,
6 Mar. 2026
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At this point, with a majority of voters opposed to Trump’s interventions, congressional action is the only way to disentangle the country from these conflicts.—
Conor Friedersdorf,
The Atlantic,
5 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Questions and comments will be moderated, read, and answered as time allows.—
Carolyn Hax,
Washington Post,
27 Mar. 2026
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Lopez answered for Central Catholic, drilling a three moments later to bring it back to a 59-58 game.—
Brendan Connelly,
Boston Herald,
16 Mar. 2026
Verb
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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
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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
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How to unsnarl the emotions that play tug-of-war with our souls?—
Michael Schulman,
New Yorker,
15 Dec. 2025
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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 22 Mar. 2026.
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