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
Make untangling tomato stems from their cage at the end of the growing season by allowing the plant to die and dry in place.
—
Megan Hughes, Better Homes & Gardens, 12 May 2026
Mosquitoes really do play favorites — and the reasons reveal a fascinating tangle of genetics, body chemistry and evolutionary tracking that scientists are still untangling.
—Ryan Brennan
may 1, Sacbee.com, 1 May 2026
Caoodkdk Cable Organizer Instead of spending time untangling your chargers, use this organizer that will neatly store your cords and small devices in one place.
—Rylee Johnston, Travel + Leisure, 28 Apr. 2026
While staff were momentarily stunned by the sheer volume of the steal, the suspect took advantage of the distraction, untangling himself from the struggle and bolting for the exit before police could arrive.
—Khloe Quill, FOXNews.com, 15 Apr. 2026
As an author, Keefe has specialized in untangling shadowy networks, whether that’s the Provisional IRA or the Sackler family, whose role in the opioid crisis via their ownership of Purdue Pharma was the subject of his book Empire of Pain.
—Julian Sancton, HollywoodReporter, 11 Apr. 2026
Each new skeleton offers another potential data point for untangling these competing migration narratives.
—Ryan Brennan, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 5 Apr. 2026
Creditors confronting both foreign trustees and secured interests must evaluate the cost of untangling each layer.
—Ascend Agency, Chicago Tribune, 12 Mar. 2026
Rebecca Sheppard specializes in untangling other people’s financial messes.
—Joel Jacobs, CNN Money, 11 Mar. 2026
Megan Hughes, Better Homes & Gardens, 12 May 2026
Mosquitoes really do play favorites — and the reasons reveal a fascinating tangle of genetics, body chemistry and evolutionary tracking that scientists are still untangling.
—Ryan Brennan
may 1, Sacbee.com, 1 May 2026
Caoodkdk Cable Organizer Instead of spending time untangling your chargers, use this organizer that will neatly store your cords and small devices in one place.
—Rylee Johnston, Travel + Leisure, 28 Apr. 2026
While staff were momentarily stunned by the sheer volume of the steal, the suspect took advantage of the distraction, untangling himself from the struggle and bolting for the exit before police could arrive.
—Khloe Quill, FOXNews.com, 15 Apr. 2026
As an author, Keefe has specialized in untangling shadowy networks, whether that’s the Provisional IRA or the Sackler family, whose role in the opioid crisis via their ownership of Purdue Pharma was the subject of his book Empire of Pain.
—Julian Sancton, HollywoodReporter, 11 Apr. 2026
Each new skeleton offers another potential data point for untangling these competing migration narratives.
—Ryan Brennan, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 5 Apr. 2026
Creditors confronting both foreign trustees and secured interests must evaluate the cost of untangling each layer.
—Ascend Agency, Chicago Tribune, 12 Mar. 2026
Rebecca Sheppard specializes in untangling other people’s financial messes.
—Joel Jacobs, CNN Money, 11 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for untangling
Verb
-
Last week, the South Carolina Supreme Court delivered an account of how Hill’s conduct during the 2023 double-murder trial crossed ethical and constitutional lines, ultimately unraveling the state’s conviction of Murdaugh.—
Sarah Rumpf-Whitten,
FOXNews.com,
17 May 2026
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But increasingly devastating wildfires are unraveling one of the last bargains Californians have enjoyed.—
Mercury News & East Bay Times Editorial Boards,
Mercury News,
15 May 2026
Verb
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That meant that Baker & Taylor took on some of these tasks, helping to speed up the process and freeing staff members to do other work.—
Adeel Hassan,
New York Times,
18 May 2026
-
But that moment in the sun came crashing down when the Russian tanks rolled into Prague in 1968, and while Karlovy Vary endured, its return to splendor was delayed until 1989, when the Iron Curtain fell, freeing the region from Moscow rules.—
Steven Gaydos,
Variety,
15 May 2026
Verb
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But state lawmakers can finally pass this legislation, and start saving families tax dollars while protecting our health and our environment.—
Justin Sanchez,
New York Daily News,
15 May 2026
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The actually unspeakable bit is whether women’s access to education and the job market should be restricted, in the name of producing more babies and saving civilization.—
Helen Lewis,
The Atlantic,
14 May 2026
Verb
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The fundamental goal of the 1787 Constitution was to establish a republican form of government — and that meant disentangling the traditional powers of the monarch and placing them in different branches of government.—
David French,
Mercury News,
3 Mar. 2026
-
Embedded in a patriarchal family within an oppressive society, Mrie faces the challenge of disentangling herself from both.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
24 Feb. 2026
Verb
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But when specifically asked whether any Americans have been exposed to Ebola, and whether the government is planning on extricating them from the DRC, the CDC’s incident manager, Satish Pillai, did not answer the questions.—
Helen Branswell,
STAT,
17 May 2026
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Part of the experiment involves Mesler willingly extricating himself from Kordansky’s gallery roster.—
Daniel Cassady,
ARTnews.com,
14 May 2026
Verb
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Georgacopoulos has made a career out of liberating pearls from their classical, somewhat staid image.—
Kate Matthams,
Forbes.com,
15 May 2026
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The conflict looms large over the film’s Kosovar Albanian teens — as does institutionalized discrimination against them — but Basholli’s intentionally blinkered focus, through the eyes of her 13-year-old protagonist, proves constraining and liberating all at once.—
Siddhant Adlakha,
Variety,
13 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Untangling.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/untangling. Accessed 21 May. 2026.
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