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
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to solve
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 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
-
But sports ties between North and South Korea have suffered as political relations frayed.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
1 Apr. 2026
-
Additionally, the individual bristles may split and fray.—
BestReviews,
Chicago Tribune,
1 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
For over 150 years, the Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station has conducted scientific research and experiments to help farmers diagnose and solve problems with their plants and soil, invasive insects and more.—
Angela Eichhorst,
Hartford Courant,
2 Apr. 2026
-
There are so many basic problems that publishers could solve without needing to work with a partner who has invented something entirely new, but that hasn’t stopped them from trying.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
2 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Generations of medical students have voiced their desire for more nutrition education, especially for practical knowledge to address numerous questions from their patients and to untangle the overflow of information and misinformation from contemporary media.—
Christopher Duggan,
STAT,
27 Mar. 2026
-
Dymphna Cordova usually spends her Thursday mornings deep in meeting mode to untangle work priorities with her team or manage complex employee issues at her company.—
Jennifer Liu,
CNBC,
25 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Each lawsuit was a settlement, meaning the city did not lose a lawsuit but instead chose to pay the plaintiff to end litigation and resolve the disputes out of court.—
Chevall Pryce,
Baltimore Sun,
2 Apr. 2026
-
Attempts to resolve ecological responsibility through strict localism often risk sliding into cultural provincialism or nationalist enclosure—fantasies of purity that ignore how deeply entangled our lives already are.—
Manuela Moscoso,
Artforum,
2 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
-
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
-
In this week’s reader mailbag, Charlotte Observer reporter Alex Zietlow answers questions on the minds of Panthers fans.—
Alex Zietlow,
Charlotte Observer,
30 Mar. 2026
-
Cloth coasters seemed to appear out of nowhere, and my questions about the hotel’s architecture, neighborhood, and wine lists were expertly answered.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
30 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
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
-
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
-
How to unsnarl the emotions that play tug-of-war with our souls?—
Michael Schulman,
New Yorker,
15 Dec. 2025
-
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 6 Apr. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
