Synonym Chooser

How does the verb untangle differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of untangle are disembarrass, disencumber, disentangle, and extricate. While all these words mean "to free from what binds or holds back," disentangle and untangle suggest painstaking separation of a thing from other things.

disentangling fact from fiction
untangle a web of deceit

When might disembarrass be a better fit than untangle?

The meanings of disembarrass and untangle largely overlap; however, disembarrass suggests a release from something that impedes or hinders.

disembarrassed herself of her advisers

When can disencumber be used instead of untangle?

The synonyms disencumber and untangle are sometimes interchangeable, but disencumber implies a release from something that clogs or weighs down.

an article disencumbered of jargon

When is it sensible to use extricate instead of untangle?

The words extricate and untangle are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, extricate implies the use of care or ingenuity in freeing from a difficult position or situation.

extricated himself from financial difficulties

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 untangle Formerly an ergonomically shaped handleless brush, the 2.0 version of the brand's ultimate detangler is the ultimate multitasker for untangling wet or dry hair for durable brushing with flexible nylon pin bristles. Conçetta Ciarlo, Vogue, 24 Mar. 2025 The Fisks are not alone in untangling their marital tension. Matt Webb Mitovich, TVLine, 18 Mar. 2025 Entire sequences are devoted to tasks as humdrum as rebooting a ship’s computer (which involves untangling a lot of wires) and shepherding a little robotic sub to try retrieving Lemons, which resembles a very tense version of a fairground claw game. David Sims, The Atlantic, 3 Mar. 2025 And there is no indication that said rights issues will ever be untangled. Matt Webb Mitovich, TVLine, 4 Apr. 2025 See All Example Sentences for untangle
Recent Examples of Synonyms for untangle
Verb
  • Throughout Season 2, viewers have watched lead protagonist Colter Shaw, played by Justin Hartley, slowly unravel his family’s complicated dynamics and the mystery of his father’s death.
    Monica Mercuri, Forbes.com, 11 May 2025
  • Brooks plays Eddie, a ghost from Jax’s past resurfaces, bringing with him a whirlwind of unresolved tension that threatens to unravel everything she’s worked so hard to build.
    Denise Petski, Deadline, 8 May 2025
Verb
  • But Hogg, a Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School shooting survivor who aims to reform the Democratic Party, claimed Monday that the committee vote can't be disentangled from his dispute with the party.
    Brittany Shepherd, ABC News, 13 May 2025
  • Brexit’s drag on the British economy is no longer much debated, though its effects have been at times hard to disentangle from subsequent shocks delivered by the coronavirus pandemic, the war in Ukraine and, now, Mr. Trump’s tariffs.
    Mark Landler, New York Times, 13 Apr. 2025
Verb
  • The men were freed after prosecutors agreed to vacate their convictions in 2014.
    Ryan Oehrli, Charlotte Observer, 16 May 2025
  • Wirtz’s potency in the final third would attract attention and could free up Pep Guardiola’s talented front line.
    Mark Carey, New York Times, 16 May 2025
Verb
  • To say that is an insult to the years of painful work my wife has done to save herself.
    Jay Stahl, USA Today, 17 May 2025
  • America’s millionaires are now mostly on the coasts, in states with expensive real estate and high income jobs that generate more possibilities to save and invest.
    Mark Dent, HubSpot, 16 May 2025
Verb
  • Rudolf’s death surely exacerbated Elisabeth’s desire to extricate herself from the public and physical world—a longing that was also reflected in her obsession with self-improvement and self-edification.
    Elizabeth Djinis, Smithsonian Magazine, 28 Apr. 2025
  • Denver Fire Department crews extricated one person from the crash.
    Katie Langford, Denver Post, 28 Apr. 2025
Verb
  • Audiences had to liberate a cadre of musicians from hypnosis and do so by concocting scenarios in which the club’s proprietor was continually forced to leave the room.
    Todd Martens, Los Angeles Times, 6 May 2025
  • Do what creatively liberates you, don’t cater to the data!
    Elias Leight, Billboard, 6 May 2025
Verb
  • Benning redeemed himself minutes later, threading a blue-line blast through traffic on a late-period power play to tie the game at 2-2, reawakening the Charlotte crowd and shifting momentum back to the home team.
    Colin Cerniglia, Charlotte Observer, 17 May 2025
  • Chargers Jim Harbaugh taking a new approach to evaluating Chargers’ rookie talent May 10, 2025 Week 17, HOUSTON, TBD: Herbert can redeem himself against the defense that grabbed four interceptions in the Chargers’ 2024 playoff flop.
    Thuc Nhi Nguyen, Los Angeles Times, 15 May 2025
Verb
  • These are already evident in executive orders that disengage the U.S. from the United Nations Human Rights Council, remove transgender service members from the military and privilege Christianity.
    Dan Vergano, Scientific American, 14 May 2025
  • There have been trade frictions and sharp divisions, particularly with respect to the U.S. invasion of Iraq in 2003 and the U.S. desire to disengage from Europe as part of a greater strategic shift toward Asia, particularly China, that began during the Obama administration.
    Arancha González Laya, Foreign Affairs, 12 May 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Untangle.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/untangle. Accessed 21 May. 2025.

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