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
The film centers on Smita, a small-town housewife whose seemingly ordinary life unravels into a narrative exploring infidelity, deceit and moral ambiguity.
—
Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 7 Nov. 2025
Army nurse Holley Lynn James' disappearance in 2008 would set off a chilling investigation that would unravel into a case marked by fire, secrets and deception.
—Mason Leath, ABC News, 7 Nov. 2025
The plot revolves around the original gang fighting new monsters and unraveling a paranormal mystery terrorizing their town.
—Nick Romano, Entertainment Weekly, 6 Nov. 2025
True moral dilemmas, which become tangled in ways that seem impossible to unravel, with his private life.
—Christian Zilko, IndieWire, 6 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for unravel
Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 7 Nov. 2025
Army nurse Holley Lynn James' disappearance in 2008 would set off a chilling investigation that would unravel into a case marked by fire, secrets and deception.
—Mason Leath, ABC News, 7 Nov. 2025
The plot revolves around the original gang fighting new monsters and unraveling a paranormal mystery terrorizing their town.
—Nick Romano, Entertainment Weekly, 6 Nov. 2025
True moral dilemmas, which become tangled in ways that seem impossible to unravel, with his private life.
—Christian Zilko, IndieWire, 6 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for unravel
Recent Examples of Synonyms for unravel
Verb
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However, India’s bilateral strategy is fraying.—
Pintu Kumar Mahla,
The Conversation,
3 Nov. 2025
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Ride Cadence Snowboard Boot But last season, due to general wear and tear, the metal cable of my laces started fraying.—
Lisa Jhung,
Outside,
29 Oct. 2025
Verb
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For example, in ecological matters, the only way to solve the problem is to continue advancing technologically.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
10 Nov. 2025
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But the show’s primary perspective also seems to be that Kingstown’s problems are so impossible to solve that only someone like Mike — with no official affiliation — can mitigate against the worst possible outcome.—
Noel Murray,
Vulture,
9 Nov. 2025
Verb
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The procedural stories are simple whodunnits with a New York twist—Murder on Broadway has Hizzoner untangling the on-stage shooting at the closing of a long-running musical, for example.—
James Folta,
Literary Hub,
6 Nov. 2025
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The Netflix series has plenty of narrative threads to untangle in a potential third season.—
Allison DeGrushe,
Entertainment Weekly,
28 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Spain's Defense Ministry did not respond to multiple requests seeking to confirm its involvement in resolving the pay issue.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
9 Nov. 2025
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Recent talks between the Dutch and Chinese governments show signs of resolving the crisis.—
Boston Herald Wire Services,
Boston Herald,
8 Nov. 2025
Verb
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Although the results are not yet for certain, if and when they are shown to be then the next step will be trying to disentangle all the sources of these ambient gravitational waves.—
Keith Cooper,
Space.com,
15 Oct. 2025
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To fully disentangle them would set both sides — and the whole world — back decades.—
Peter Leyden,
Big Think,
7 Oct. 2025
Verb
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The Water Utilities has to study demographics and costs once the first two questions are answered.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
9 Nov. 2025
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That Berube can’t answer that question publicly and confidently right now is part of the problem for the team.—
Joshua Kloke,
New York Times,
9 Nov. 2025
Verb
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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
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It’s got a rubber bumper around the upper rim that makes the lid a breeze to untwist and a protective bumper at the base that keeps it from easily toppling over.—
Alaina Chou,
Bon Appétit,
6 Aug. 2024
Verb
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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
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Construction is beginning on a major railroad project on Chicago’s South Side that officials hope will unsnarl a key freight rail choke point, boost Metra service and improve conditions for drivers, pedestrians and residents in the area.—
Sarah Freishtat,
Chicago Tribune,
25 Oct. 2022
Cite this Entry
“Unravel.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/unravel. Accessed 26 Nov. 2025.
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