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
But the regime shows no sign of unraveling, and the people who have replaced senior leaders are known as equally hard-line or arguably even more militant than their predecessors, according to Western officials and experts on Iran.
—
Abigail Williams, NBC news, 2 Apr. 2026
The Drama, out April 3, follows a soon-to-be married couple whose relationship unravels in the days leading up to their wedding.
—Hannah Malach, InStyle, 2 Apr. 2026
While his career on the court began to slow down, Odom's personal life was seemingly unraveling.
—Nasha Smith, PEOPLE, 1 Apr. 2026
The hair industry is far more nuanced and labyrinthine than the average buyer would ever have the time or access to unravel.
—Noel Cymone Walker, StyleCaster, 1 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for unravel
Abigail Williams, NBC news, 2 Apr. 2026
The Drama, out April 3, follows a soon-to-be married couple whose relationship unravels in the days leading up to their wedding.
—Hannah Malach, InStyle, 2 Apr. 2026
While his career on the court began to slow down, Odom's personal life was seemingly unraveling.
—Nasha Smith, PEOPLE, 1 Apr. 2026
The hair industry is far more nuanced and labyrinthine than the average buyer would ever have the time or access to unravel.
—Noel Cymone Walker, StyleCaster, 1 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for unravel
Recent Examples of Synonyms for unravel
Verb
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Already, the two-week ceasefire appears at risk of fraying over significant disagreements between the parties, which each are claiming victory in the war.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
8 Apr. 2026
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The veil between character and self has frayed — bad behavior, even onstage, carries a frisson of shameful unease.—
Sara Holdren,
Vulture,
7 Apr. 2026
Verb
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While philosophers may lose sleep over it, physicists don’t have to, because cosmic inflation solves it.—
Big Think,
Big Think,
9 Apr. 2026
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Seeking to solve the problem, the state House of Representatives voted 124-21 this week to force tire retailers to join a state stewardship program by July 2027.—
Christopher Keating,
Hartford Courant,
9 Apr. 2026
Verb
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That complexity means there isn’t a single thread to pull that would untangle the annual spending deficit the state has faced, analysts wrote in a January memo on the budget shortfall.—
Nick Coltrain,
Denver Post,
5 Apr. 2026
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Each new skeleton offers another potential data point for untangling these competing migration narratives.—
Ryan Brennan,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
5 Apr. 2026
Verb
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In many mining districts, criminal organizations effectively govern territory, controlling entry, resolving disputes and enforcing authority through violence.—
Antonio María Delgado,
Miami Herald,
9 Apr. 2026
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David Creasy, the family’s attorney, said the battle to resolve the matter could take years.—
Peter Elkind,
ProPublica,
9 Apr. 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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After Alperen Sengun answered with a layup, Curry had a chance to win it.—
Joseph Dycus,
Mercury News,
6 Apr. 2026
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The Guardians answered with another three runs in the bottom half of the inning to hand the Cubs a 6-5 loss to split Sunday’s doubleheader.—
Meghan Montemurro,
Chicago Tribune,
6 Apr. 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 10 Apr. 2026.
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