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
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in solved
to find an answer for through reasoning
unraveled the mystery
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of unraveled
But the web of circumstantial evidence slowly unraveled.
—
Orlando Sentinel Editorial Board, Sun Sentinel, 4 Apr. 2026
The veteran prosecutor ousted from the case of a Miami gang boss — which unraveled after allegations of prosecutorial misconduct — could face discipline by the Florida Bar.
—Grethel Aguila, Miami Herald, 1 Apr. 2026
The Senate bill was approved early Friday but quickly unraveled when House Speaker Mike Johnson rejected it.
—Sacbee.com, 31 Mar. 2026
Scientists have unraveled a 40‑year‑old mystery at the heart of sleeping sickness, uncovering how a deadly parasite behind the life-threatening disease repeatedly slips past the human immune system and survives long enough to cause serious illness.
—Melissa Fleur Afshar, MSNBC Newsweek, 30 Mar. 2026
Then, in the ninth inning, everything unraveled.
—Kansas City Star, 29 Mar. 2026
Before things unraveled, Latz pitched masterfully, and the Rangers swatted a pair of home runs in regulation to even the season’s first series and win 5-4 on a chilly afternoon.
—Shawn McFarland, Dallas Morning News, 28 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
Orlando Sentinel Editorial Board, Sun Sentinel, 4 Apr. 2026
The veteran prosecutor ousted from the case of a Miami gang boss — which unraveled after allegations of prosecutorial misconduct — could face discipline by the Florida Bar.
—Grethel Aguila, Miami Herald, 1 Apr. 2026
The Senate bill was approved early Friday but quickly unraveled when House Speaker Mike Johnson rejected it.
—Sacbee.com, 31 Mar. 2026
Scientists have unraveled a 40‑year‑old mystery at the heart of sleeping sickness, uncovering how a deadly parasite behind the life-threatening disease repeatedly slips past the human immune system and survives long enough to cause serious illness.
—Melissa Fleur Afshar, MSNBC Newsweek, 30 Mar. 2026
Then, in the ninth inning, everything unraveled.
—Kansas City Star, 29 Mar. 2026
Before things unraveled, Latz pitched masterfully, and the Rangers swatted a pair of home runs in regulation to even the season’s first series and win 5-4 on a chilly afternoon.
—Shawn McFarland, Dallas Morning News, 28 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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for unraveled
Verb
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The internal notice came after City Council members already saw a 3% cut to their spending across ward offices and committees this year and last year, both following challenging budget cycles that frayed relationships between aldermen and the mayor’s office.—
Alice Yin,
Chicago Tribune,
9 Apr. 2026
-
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
-
The puzzle isn’t fully solved yet, though.—
Clara Moskowitz,
Scientific American,
10 Apr. 2026
-
Finally solved that hard-to-fill spot?—
Ed Silverman,
STAT,
10 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
McDavid answered that goal less than two minutes later, and the Sharks couldn't slow him down the rest of the night.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
9 Apr. 2026
-
Both answered in detail, especially regarding the cost basis question.—
Kathy Yakal,
PC Magazine,
8 Apr. 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
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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
-
For example, the theme of superposition—put very simply, the idea that characters exist in a number of potential states simultaneously, some of them mutually exclusive, and this ambiguity or multiplicity doesn’t get resolved until some point in the future.—
Andrew Marantz,
New Yorker,
5 Apr. 2026
-
Unlike the Persian Gulf oil supply, some of which can be routed overland, LNG is well and truly stuck until the Hormuz crisis is resolved.—
Idrees Kahloon,
The Atlantic,
5 Apr. 2026
Verb
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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 11 Apr. 2026.
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