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
And all hopes were jeopardized during an embarrassing trip to Michigan, where Cronin and the Bruins unraveled.
—
Aaron Heisen, Daily News, 25 Mar. 2026
By 1973, the system had fully unraveled.
—Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 24 Mar. 2026
In the end, March Madness became a muddled mess as Florida’s push to repeat as national champions unraveled in a devastating loss to Iowa.
—Edgar Thompson, The Orlando Sentinel, 23 Mar. 2026
The outreach quickly unraveled, however.
—Joshua Goodman, Sun Sentinel, 23 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for unravel
Aaron Heisen, Daily News, 25 Mar. 2026
By 1973, the system had fully unraveled.
—Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 24 Mar. 2026
In the end, March Madness became a muddled mess as Florida’s push to repeat as national champions unraveled in a devastating loss to Iowa.
—Edgar Thompson, The Orlando Sentinel, 23 Mar. 2026
The outreach quickly unraveled, however.
—Joshua Goodman, Sun Sentinel, 23 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for unravel
Recent Examples of Synonyms for unravel
Verb
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But that sense of belonging has frayed.—
Samantha-Jo Roth,
The Washington Examiner,
22 Mar. 2026
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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
Verb
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The case was solved years later through DNA evidence, along with the exhumation of the family dog, which prosecutors said Kovacich had kicked and beaten to death.—
Sharon Bernstein,
Sacbee.com,
27 Mar. 2026
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The cold case mystery was the first New York City murder solved using familial DNA, an innovative scientific technique that linked Martinez, 54, through DNA in his father’s criminal database.—
Julian Roberts-Grmela,
New York Daily News,
26 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Generations of medical students have voiced their desire for more nutrition education, especially for practical knowledge to address numerous questions from their patients and to untangle the overflow of information and misinformation from contemporary media.—
Christopher Duggan,
STAT,
27 Mar. 2026
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Dymphna Cordova usually spends her Thursday mornings deep in meeting mode to untangle work priorities with her team or manage complex employee issues at her company.—
Jennifer Liu,
CNBC,
25 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Legal experts caution that cases of this scale—spanning multiple countries and financial systems—can take years to resolve.—
Antonio María Delgado,
Miami Herald,
27 Mar. 2026
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Senators are under intense pressure to resolve the impasse as chaos at airports continues.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
27 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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In this week’s reader mailbag, Charlotte Observer reporter Alex Zietlow answers questions on the minds of Panthers fans.—
Alex Zietlow,
Charlotte Observer,
30 Mar. 2026
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Cloth coasters seemed to appear out of nowhere, and my questions about the hotel’s architecture, neighborhood, and wine lists were expertly answered.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
30 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 31 Mar. 2026.
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