1
as in fraying
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 solving
to find an answer for through reasoning
unraveled the mystery
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of unraveling
The mummy delights in slowly unraveling her new host family (this is as close as the movie gets to a big idea), but not all of us are blessed with the patience of an undying Egyptian deity.
—
David Ehrlich, IndieWire, 16 Apr. 2026
When Floyd is found dead at a community pool surrounded by a poisonous cocktail and a vintage Playgirl magazine, two detectives (Richard Jenkins and Joy Sunday) begin unraveling the bizarre chain of events that led to his death.
—Clayton Davis, Variety, 15 Apr. 2026
The college bargain that a generation of Americans was sold (borrow money, earn a degree, join the middle class) has been quietly unraveling for 20 years.
—Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 10 Apr. 2026
In Miller’s 1949 classic, Willy Loman is a struggling traveling salesman unraveling under the weight of his own expectations, chasing an American dream that no longer fits.
—Dave Quinn, PEOPLE, 9 Apr. 2026
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
With imposing, sometimes comic intensity, Seimetz captures the anxieties of a woman on the verge of unraveling whenever life seems out of order — even the misplacement of a dish.
—David Canfield, HollywoodReporter, 30 Mar. 2026
Vance also questioned what information Omar allegedly knew and withheld regarding sweeping fraud federal investigators are unraveling in her home state of Minnesota.
—Emily Hallas, The Washington Examiner, 27 Mar. 2026
The tectonic architecture of the Aegean Sea is messy, rife with crisscrossing faults and myriad volcanoes that make unraveling what happens at depth extremely difficult.
—Quanta Magazine, 27 Mar. 2026
David Ehrlich, IndieWire, 16 Apr. 2026
When Floyd is found dead at a community pool surrounded by a poisonous cocktail and a vintage Playgirl magazine, two detectives (Richard Jenkins and Joy Sunday) begin unraveling the bizarre chain of events that led to his death.
—Clayton Davis, Variety, 15 Apr. 2026
The college bargain that a generation of Americans was sold (borrow money, earn a degree, join the middle class) has been quietly unraveling for 20 years.
—Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 10 Apr. 2026
In Miller’s 1949 classic, Willy Loman is a struggling traveling salesman unraveling under the weight of his own expectations, chasing an American dream that no longer fits.
—Dave Quinn, PEOPLE, 9 Apr. 2026
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
With imposing, sometimes comic intensity, Seimetz captures the anxieties of a woman on the verge of unraveling whenever life seems out of order — even the misplacement of a dish.
—David Canfield, HollywoodReporter, 30 Mar. 2026
Vance also questioned what information Omar allegedly knew and withheld regarding sweeping fraud federal investigators are unraveling in her home state of Minnesota.
—Emily Hallas, The Washington Examiner, 27 Mar. 2026
The tectonic architecture of the Aegean Sea is messy, rife with crisscrossing faults and myriad volcanoes that make unraveling what happens at depth extremely difficult.
—Quanta Magazine, 27 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for unraveling
Verb
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Knowles keeps the atmosphere leaden when the story surfaces in the present, in which Willy is 63, fraying with disappointment and banged up from several car crashes out on his long runs — events that his family is starting to fear aren’t accidents.—
Sara Holdren,
Vulture,
10 Apr. 2026
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This mischievous psychothriller takes that premise to new, nerve-fraying levels.—
Matt Cabral,
Entertainment Weekly,
10 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Residents deserve leadership that is focused on solving problems, not creating them.—
Denise Horland,
Sun Sentinel,
20 Apr. 2026
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Most of the preparation for this eventuality has involved updating RSA encryption to use the Module Lattice Key Encapsulation Mechanism—typically known as ML-KEM—a PQC algorithm based on problems that quantum computers have no advantage over classical computing in solving.—
Stephen Clark,
ArsTechnica,
17 Apr. 2026
Verb
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The fundamental goal of the 1787 Constitution was to establish a republican form of government — and that meant disentangling the traditional powers of the monarch and placing them in different branches of government.—
David French,
Mercury News,
3 Mar. 2026
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Embedded in a patriarchal family within an oppressive society, Mrie faces the challenge of disentangling herself from both.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
24 Feb. 2026
Verb
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The teams traded goals later in the second with Toffoli scoring on the rush for San Jose and DeBrusk answering on the power play.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
11 Apr. 2026
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In another campaign video, the Euphoria actress takes on the role of Roach's assistant, answering calls, carrying boxes and offering him a sip of a beverage.—
Catherine Santino,
PEOPLE,
10 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
Verb
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Beijing calls for an immediate and comprehensive ceasefire and cessation of hostilities, Xi was cited as saying by Xinhua, while supporting all efforts conducive to restoring peace and remaining committed to resolving disputes through political and diplomatic means.—
Will Clark,
NBC news,
20 Apr. 2026
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Gray Thompson cautioned that while survivors waiting for relief can defer taxes or amend past returns, resolving issues with government programs, such as qualifying for college financial aid, is much harder.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
20 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Hochul and the Legislature will get the credit from the unions for undoing the Tier 6 reforms, but future taxpayers will get the bill.—
New York Daily News Editorial Board,
New York Daily News,
19 Apr. 2026
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Little has nixed, or in two cases line-item vetoed, six bills this session, ranging from undoing cuts to graduate medical education to rejecting an attempt to increase the child-to-staff ratio in certain day cares.—
Idaho Statesman,
Idaho Statesman,
10 Apr. 2026
Verb
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While staff were momentarily stunned by the sheer volume of the steal, the suspect took advantage of the distraction, untangling himself from the struggle and bolting for the exit before police could arrive.—
Khloe Quill,
FOXNews.com,
15 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
Cite this Entry
“Unraveling.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/unraveling. Accessed 25 Apr. 2026.
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