1
as in frayed
to separate the various strands of
it took us forever to unravel the jumbled mass of Christmas tree lights
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in solved
to find an answer for through reasoning
unraveled the mystery
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of unraveled
Then, in the ninth inning, everything unraveled.
—
Kansas City Star, 29 Mar. 2026
The arrangement unraveled in 2022, after one of the involved parties bragged about it at a professional conference and was overheard by an LAUSD employee who reported the comments to district officials, the complaint said.
—Clara Harter, Los Angeles Times, 27 Mar. 2026
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
That sense of security unraveled in 2021.
—Tony Plohetski, Austin American Statesman, 19 Mar. 2026
Within an hour, the training exercise unraveled into a cascading accident.
—Madison Dapcevich, Outside, 19 Mar. 2026
Kansas City Star, 29 Mar. 2026
The arrangement unraveled in 2022, after one of the involved parties bragged about it at a professional conference and was overheard by an LAUSD employee who reported the comments to district officials, the complaint said.
—Clara Harter, Los Angeles Times, 27 Mar. 2026
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
That sense of security unraveled in 2021.
—Tony Plohetski, Austin American Statesman, 19 Mar. 2026
Within an hour, the training exercise unraveled into a cascading accident.
—Madison Dapcevich, Outside, 19 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for unraveled
Verb
-
But that sense of belonging has frayed.—
Samantha-Jo Roth,
The Washington Examiner,
22 Mar. 2026
-
As the alerts frayed the nerves of residents, and the air defense system proved its mettle, the UAE authorities changed their approach.—
Kelsey Warner,
semafor.com,
16 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
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
-
With that athleticism, the problems might be solved by pure talent.—
Nick Harris,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
27 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Questions and comments will be moderated, read, and answered as time allows.—
Carolyn Hax,
Washington Post,
27 Mar. 2026
-
While there are still many questions to be answered, the researchers said that this new research should hopefully provide some relief for parents of children with ADHD.—
David Cox,
NBC news,
25 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
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
-
The filing underscores the administration’s position that immigration enforcement and foreign policy decisions cannot be disentangled from national security concerns and that all of those are solely under the federal government’s purview.—
Kaelan Deese,
The Washington Examiner,
13 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
How does this -- the Homeland Security shutdown get resolved?—
ABC News,
ABC News,
29 Mar. 2026
-
In 2014, there was a kerfuffle involving Westerly putting his house up for auction due to him owing $8,000 in back taxes, but it was quickly resolved when the taxes were paid.—
Katie Landeck,
The Providence Journal,
28 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
The looming canyon nearly obscures sunlight, and sinuous, layered stone reveals warm burgundy, grey, and violet striations smoothed by centuries of flooding.—
Madison Chapman,
Outside,
25 Mar. 2026
-
Fronting the glittering waters of the Atlantic, the Louis XIII-style promenade is currently undergoing a multi-million-dollar renewal, its granite tiles buffed and smoothed, vegetation planted, and its sea lions by sculptor José Fioravanti returned to their former glory.—
Siobhan Reid,
Travel + Leisure,
10 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Unraveled.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/unraveled. Accessed 2 Apr. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
