1
as in unraveling
to separate the various strands of
gently untangled the baby's hair
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in freeing
to set free from entanglement or difficulty
I was finally able to untangle myself from my credit problems
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of untangling
Gerima continued to explain that untangling film production from its violent colonial past was a constant battle.
—
Zac Ntim, Deadline, 16 Feb. 2026
At other points, Siegal turned to Epstein for advice on everything from a dispute over her inheritance to untangling her personal finances to dealing with a rival to her publicity business.
—Brent Lang, Variety, 10 Feb. 2026
So that's going to be the hardest part about this game — untangling this five-dimensional web of connections that go back 20 years to Colby and Jenna and Stephenie.
—Dalton Ross, Entertainment Weekly, 29 Jan. 2026
The podcast is a fascinating artifact, the tale of a woman still untangling her role as both victim and victimizer.
—Jillian Steinhauer, New Yorker, 23 Jan. 2026
Carpenter has spent a decade untangling his insecurities since forming Medium Build in 2015.
—Jason Lipshutz, Billboard, 15 Jan. 2026
When that foundation becomes inconsistent, our job shifts from supporting people to untangling contradictions.
—Hannah Van Ark, STAT, 13 Jan. 2026
The emotional Moon forms a flowing trine with Chiron, energizing your 11th House of Networks and untangling the complexities of group efforts.
—Tarot.com, New York Daily News, 5 Jan. 2026
He’s spent weeks untangling a conspiracy that began with the Atwater Protocol and spilled blood from Washington to the tundra, and now the consequences of that secrecy have literally landed at his doorstep.
—Jp Mangalindan, Time, 5 Dec. 2025
Zac Ntim, Deadline, 16 Feb. 2026
At other points, Siegal turned to Epstein for advice on everything from a dispute over her inheritance to untangling her personal finances to dealing with a rival to her publicity business.
—Brent Lang, Variety, 10 Feb. 2026
So that's going to be the hardest part about this game — untangling this five-dimensional web of connections that go back 20 years to Colby and Jenna and Stephenie.
—Dalton Ross, Entertainment Weekly, 29 Jan. 2026
The podcast is a fascinating artifact, the tale of a woman still untangling her role as both victim and victimizer.
—Jillian Steinhauer, New Yorker, 23 Jan. 2026
Carpenter has spent a decade untangling his insecurities since forming Medium Build in 2015.
—Jason Lipshutz, Billboard, 15 Jan. 2026
When that foundation becomes inconsistent, our job shifts from supporting people to untangling contradictions.
—Hannah Van Ark, STAT, 13 Jan. 2026
The emotional Moon forms a flowing trine with Chiron, energizing your 11th House of Networks and untangling the complexities of group efforts.
—Tarot.com, New York Daily News, 5 Jan. 2026
He’s spent weeks untangling a conspiracy that began with the Atwater Protocol and spilled blood from Washington to the tundra, and now the consequences of that secrecy have literally landed at his doorstep.
—Jp Mangalindan, Time, 5 Dec. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for untangling
Verb
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The supermodel posed in a white corset dress with a sheer skirt that appeared to be unraveling.—
Lara Walsh,
InStyle,
17 Feb. 2026
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Now, Archuleta has a newfound sense of liberation, having grappled with the heaviness of unraveling his foundation of faith.—
Steven J. Horowitz,
Variety,
17 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
So that was very freeing for me.—
Yvonne Villarreal,
Los Angeles Times,
19 Feb. 2026
-
In May, the International Skating Union approved Petrosian and Alina Gorbacheva as individual athletes, freeing them to compete in the ISU’s Skate to Milan qualifier in Beijing last September.—
Marcus Thompson II,
New York Times,
17 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Now, after a life-saving sonogram, Glanville has revealed that a ruptured pair of breast implants is the true culprit behind her condition.—
Ryan Coleman,
Entertainment Weekly,
19 Feb. 2026
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But that spirit of collaboration might be much harder to forge today, and a body tasked with saving Social Security before 2031 would face significant challenges that the commission of the early ‘80s did not.—
Tristan Bove,
Fortune,
19 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Our narrator, a gay, happily married father of two disentangling himself from a poly love affair, is—depending on the light—brilliant, self-mythologizing, abject, hopeful, and vulnerable.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
8 Sep. 2025
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Brittany Luse is joined by writer and journalist Ana Marie Cox to get into how people are disentangling alcohol from their lives, and the lessons she's learned as a recovering alcoholic.—
Veralyn Williams,
NPR,
6 Jan. 2025
Verb
-
The unit's soldiers train to operate in frigid conditions, like driving special cold weather vehicles and extricating themselves from icy waters.—
Cybele Mayes-Osterman,
USA Today,
20 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Both were premised on the idea of frictionless ease, liberating their users from outmoded toils.—
Jake Lundberg,
The Atlantic,
19 Feb. 2026
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For the determined, liberating people’s cars from the ice can mean a quick source of income.—
Clio Chang,
Curbed,
5 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Untangling.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/untangling. Accessed 23 Feb. 2026.
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