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 scheme unraveled after that discovery, leading to her termination and a broader criminal investigation involving multiple agencies.
—
Greg Wehner, FOXNews.com, 9 Apr. 2026
Legislators step in Today, Robinson’s grand vision has begun to unravel.
—Alex Acquisto, CNN Money, 9 Apr. 2026
Yet even this contradictory approach seems to have unraveled as soon as the war started.
—Fintan O’Toole, The New York Review of Books, 9 Apr. 2026
Today, Robinson’s grand vision has begun to unravel.
—Alex Acquisto, ProPublica, 9 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for unravel
Greg Wehner, FOXNews.com, 9 Apr. 2026
Legislators step in Today, Robinson’s grand vision has begun to unravel.
—Alex Acquisto, CNN Money, 9 Apr. 2026
Yet even this contradictory approach seems to have unraveled as soon as the war started.
—Fintan O’Toole, The New York Review of Books, 9 Apr. 2026
Today, Robinson’s grand vision has begun to unravel.
—Alex Acquisto, ProPublica, 9 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for unravel
Recent Examples of Synonyms for unravel
Verb
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An elite soldier with a fraying mind is sent deep into a wartime nightmare, and the sweaty performances, bold musical choices, and beautiful cinematography take us there.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
15 Apr. 2026
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If your current set is thin, faded or fraying, spring cleaning is the perfect excuse to replace them.—
Miami Herald,
Miami Herald,
13 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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An attempt to untangle from the business in his youth failed.—
Danielle Paquette The Washington Post,
Arkansas Online,
12 Apr. 2026
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As an author, Keefe has specialized in untangling shadowy networks, whether that’s the Provisional IRA or the Sackler family, whose role in the opioid crisis via their ownership of Purdue Pharma was the subject of his book Empire of Pain.—
Julian Sancton,
HollywoodReporter,
11 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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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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His opponent in the November election, Democrat Jose Javier Rodriguez, blasted Uthmeier's refusal to directly answer the question.—
Jim DeFede,
CBS News,
12 Apr. 2026
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Even if the war winds down, its ripple effects on gas and commodity prices are expected to linger, leaving Republicans to answer for those pressures on the campaign trail despite efforts to redirect attention to tax policy or immigration.—
Samantha-Jo Roth,
The Washington Examiner,
12 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 16 Apr. 2026.
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