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
Early in his career, Valdez was more or less defined by his tendency to unravel in tough game situations.
—
Levi Weaver, New York Times, 6 May 2026
Meta is firing back at a January lawsuit that alleged WhatsApp never supported end-to-end encryption, arguing the plaintiff’s claims are unraveling.
—Michael Kan, PC Magazine, 5 May 2026
In a powerful and disquieting GQ profile, the band and some immediate friends and family unraveled the struggles that have plagued their lucrative but life-altering reunion, a kind of cautionary tale for leveling up after settling down.
—Sam Sodomsky, Pitchfork, 4 May 2026
But after a biopsy, that reassurance quickly unraveled.
—Jordan Greene, PEOPLE, 4 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for unravel
Levi Weaver, New York Times, 6 May 2026
Meta is firing back at a January lawsuit that alleged WhatsApp never supported end-to-end encryption, arguing the plaintiff’s claims are unraveling.
—Michael Kan, PC Magazine, 5 May 2026
In a powerful and disquieting GQ profile, the band and some immediate friends and family unraveled the struggles that have plagued their lucrative but life-altering reunion, a kind of cautionary tale for leveling up after settling down.
—Sam Sodomsky, Pitchfork, 4 May 2026
But after a biopsy, that reassurance quickly unraveled.
—Jordan Greene, PEOPLE, 4 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for unravel
Recent Examples of Synonyms for unravel
Verb
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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
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Daniel still has these tracings today, rolled tightly and frayed at the edges.—
Emilie Hardman,
JSTOR Daily,
6 May 2026
Verb
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To solve the problem, the researchers used AI to generate variations in environmental conditions during robot training.—
Neetika Walter,
Interesting Engineering,
7 May 2026
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The Minnesota House of Representatives passed a bill Monday that includes $1 million in funding to solve nonfatal shootings.—
Mara H. Gottfried,
Twin Cities,
7 May 2026
Verb
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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
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There remain other, muddled storylines across this LIV timeline that won’t get untangled.—
Dave Hyde,
Sun Sentinel,
30 Apr. 2026
Verb
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What The Dark Wizard does differently is grapple with Potter’s impenetrability without being able to resolve it, and consider how that indecision might change our perceptions of his life and his May 2015 death while BASE jumping in Yosemite.—
Roxana Hadadi,
Vulture,
7 May 2026
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Typically, those reviews have been resolved quickly, but standard times started stretching longer starting around August 2025, the association said.—
Ella Nilsen,
CNN Money,
7 May 2026
Verb
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The single-system design would be costly to disentangle — if possible at all.—
Jennifer Van Grove,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
14 Apr. 2026
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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
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McGlynn had a shot from nearly the same spot hit the far post, also in the 42nd, and Nathan Ordaz answered for LAFC three minutes later to cut it to 2-1 at halftime.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
11 May 2026
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Royal faced set point three times but answered the call each time before a Village Christian hitting error gave Royal the set.—
Justin Vigil Zuniga,
Daily News,
10 May 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 12 May. 2026.
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