UNRAVELS Synonyms: 64 Similar and Opposite Words

unravels

verb

present tense third-person singular of unravel

as in frays

to separate the various strands of it took us forever to unravel the jumbled mass of Christmas tree lights

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in solves

to find an answer for through reasoning unraveled the mystery

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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 unravels Interrupted by power outages, a relentlessly barking dog and the unexpected arrival of a celebrated composer, the conversation steadily unravels. — Anna Marie De La Fuente, Variety, 7 Aug. 2026 Desperate struggles against the encroaching elements become a brief interlude before the situation unravels into a disaster of a different magnitude. — Georg Szalai, HollywoodReporter, 30 July 2026 Zendaya and Pattinson play an engaged couple whose relationship unravels after a confession over dinner. — ABC News, 24 July 2026 That’s about as pleasant as things ever get for Weir, whose sanity steadily unravels over the course of the film, culminating in one of its most potent scares. — Britt Hayes, Entertainment Weekly, 13 July 2026 Defense unravels late The Dodgers widened their lead to two runs but gave it up in the eighth on a pair of errors, including one on a sacrifice bunt. — Maddie Lee, Los Angeles Times, 8 July 2026 My new novel, Star-Crossed Summer, follows two young actors who fall in love while filming a movie set in a South Carolina beach town, only to be torn apart by fame, ambition and a secret that unravels everything. — Devon Daniels, PEOPLE, 5 July 2026 Years later, Kang gets revenge by crafting a story that Mun-oh cannot turn away from, and that slowly unravels the professor’s life. — Kayti Burt, Time, 26 June 2026 The no-frills app also unravels any complex options for those who are looking for something that just keeps the sound simple. — Carlos Mejia, PC Magazine, 23 June 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for unravels

Verb

Conjuring the troubled inner life of a young, successful Buenos Aires fashion designer with an uncommon mix of stylistic rigor and feeling, the film frays your nerves.

— David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 16 June 2026
The coalition of supporters frays Still another issue is conflict within the legalization movement itself, particularly between the business and activist wings.

— William Garriott, The Conversation, 17 Apr. 2026

Definition of frays

Verb

Offering space as a service solves this problem and allows small businesses to put their products in front of customers in a physical space.

— Catherine Erdly, Forbes.com, 17 Aug. 2026
But once the team solves those problems, deployment could be nearly anywhere with bodies of water.

— New Atlas, New Atlas, 14 Aug. 2026

Definition of solves

Verb

Bellamy and Evans’ prenup could now take center stage as the couple untangles their finances.

— Lauryn Overhultz, FOXNews.com, 14 Aug. 2026
The film, without proving didactic, untangles the complications of finding appropriate care for someone with her cognitive disabilities, as Emily and Bob struggle with a healthcare system that isn’t set up to support people like her.

— Wilson Chapman, IndieWire, 28 Jan. 2026

Definition of untangles

Verb

The Standard Nuclear agreement resolves an important piece of that puzzle.

— Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 20 Aug. 2026
The settlement resolves the litigation the schools filed in Colorado state court against the Mountain West and its commissioner, Gloria Nevarez.

— Daniel Libit, Sportico.com, 17 Aug. 2026

Definition of resolves

Verb

At its center is wild soybean extract fermented for a whopping 120 hours, a process that breaks down the ingredient's components and creates a lightweight, nourishing formula that smooths the look of skin texture and keeps excess sebum in check.

— Christa Joanna Lee, Allure, 20 Aug. 2026
This method smooths the rocks and rounds the edges, giving them a more polished look and feel.

— BestReviews, Mercury News, 5 Aug. 2026

Definition of smooths

Verb

An agent that answers every call Commure's AI Call Center Agents answer the phone 24/7, with zero hold time and zero after-hours dead ends.

— Deepika Bodapati, Forbes.com, 12 Aug. 2026
Don’t be surprised if Cooper Barkate answers to the name Spider-Man or any nickname close to it.

— Jordan McPherson, Miami Herald, 11 Aug. 2026

Definition of answers

Verb

Like Sir Richard Branson himself, Virgin lets the hair grow long and undoes a few buttons while still making savvy business decisions, like a boss.

— JP Brammer, Condé Nast Traveler, 10 July 2026
That's the part that undoes everything else, because outdoor advertising formats are not neutral delivery vehicles.

— Adam Salacuse, Forbes.com, 7 July 2026

Definition of undoes

Browse Nearby Words

unraveling

unravels

unreachable

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“Unravels.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/unravels. Accessed 22 Aug. 2026.

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Synonyms of unravels

verb

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