UNTANGLE Synonyms: 58 Similar and Opposite Words

Q: 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

Q: 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

Q: 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

Q: 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

untangle

verb

ˌən-ˈtaŋ-gəl

Definition of untangle

as in to unravel

to separate the various strands of gently untangled the baby's hair

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in to disentangle

to set free from entanglement or difficulty I was finally able to untangle myself from my credit problems

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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 Drop it onto its magnetic base station when you're done playing, and never worry about untangling dead wires again. — Juhi Wadia, PC Magazine, 25 Sep. 2026 The company’s future chief communications officer will need to untangle all of these threads. — Emily Forlini, Fortune, 23 Sep. 2026 Thank god for two thinkers willing to sit and untangle our sorry state of affairs. — Emily Temple, Literary Hub, 8 Sep. 2026 In her new biography of the artist, Jamie Fisher doesn’t so much attempt to untangle the mystery of Smith, but to describe how he was seen by the many people who loved him. — Emily Palmer Heller, Vulture, 7 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for untangle

Recent Examples of Synonyms for untangle

Verb

As Prue and Curtis struggle to unravel the twisty lore of the obstacle-laden forest in their search for Mac, their outsider presence inadvertently sets off a long-festering showdown for control of the forest between its warring factions.

— Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 23 Oct. 2026
Fabric thinning or developing holes was the top concern (62 percent), followed by seams splitting or unravelling (55 percent).

— Cleo Levin, Footwear News, 23 Oct. 2026

Definition of unravel

Verb

Pawlikowski’s mother and father, also named Zula and Wiktor, whose unmanageable love had kept them tangled and disentangled for decades, took their own lives in 1989, as the Cold War that had cast its chill upon their time was beginning to thaw.

— Anthony Lane, New Yorker, 28 Sep. 2026
His remarks escalated a confrontation over New York’s efforts to disentangle local police from federal immigration enforcement.

— María Luisa Paúl, USA Today, 2 Sep. 2026

Definition of disentangle

Verb

Paying down high-interest debt frees up more room in the budget.

— Martie Bowser, Fortune, 24 Oct. 2026
On top of that, the number of French army soldiers that normally patrol Paris as part of the country’s counter-terrorism measures will be increased to free the police from stationary guard duties.

— Ivana Kottasová, CNN Money, 23 Oct. 2026

Definition of free

Verb

Yes, but this doesn’t save a business from the compliance nightmare.

— Daniel Kjellén, Fortune, 24 Oct. 2026
The first in the ACOTAR series, the romantasy novel introduces us to Feyre Archeron, a human woman who agrees to go live in the fairie realm of Prythian in order to save her family.

— Anna Moeslein, Glamour, 24 Oct. 2026

Definition of save

Verb

By the time officers arrived, Kansas City Fire Department crews were already trying to extricate Bruette from the Volkswagen.

— Kansas City Star, Kansas City Star, 20 Oct. 2026
Sports in our colleges and universities should be extricated from higher education as soon as possible.

— Bruce Svare, Sportico.com, 17 Oct. 2026

Definition of extricate

Verb

Technology can liberate your scrappy plants from overcrowded window boxes, and put a micro-farm in your kitchen.

— New Atlas, New Atlas, 22 Oct. 2026
This action would have triggered a kilonova while also liberating a lot of material, stuff that would take its time falling onto the black hole and fueling longer jets.

— Robin George Andrews, Scientific American, 20 Oct. 2026

Definition of liberate

Verb

But the news took a turn when employees reportedly were given a phishing test email disguised as a chance to redeem their rings.

— Ryan Morik OutKick, FOXNews.com, 23 Oct. 2026
Each point is worth 1 cent and 200 points can be redeemed for $2 off convenience store items or an extra 5 cents per gallon discount on fuel.

— Dan Avery, CNBC, 21 Oct. 2026

Definition of redeem

Verb

During a flight from Moscow to Hong Kong in March, 1994, the pilot allowed his teen-age son to sit at the controls of the plane, and the boy unknowingly disengaged the autopilot.

— Sudarsan Raghavan, New Yorker, 12 Oct. 2026
With the throne disengaged from governance, petitions and reports from officials piled up unread, crucial state posts went unfilled, and the imperial bureaucracy splintered amid poisonous factional infighting.

— Carl Minzner, Foreign Affairs, 5 Oct. 2026

Definition of disengage

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untamed

untangle

untangled

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“Untangle.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/untangle. Accessed 26 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of untangle

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