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
The procedural stories are simple whodunnits with a New York twist—Murder on Broadway has Hizzoner untangling the on-stage shooting at the closing of a long-running musical, for example.
—
James Folta, Literary Hub, 6 Nov. 2025
Hanging ornaments with care can be one of the highlights of the holiday season, but untangling wads of string lights is far less enjoyable.
—Maggie Horton, PEOPLE, 22 Oct. 2025
The album was heralded as Lorde’s most personal project to date, with the singer examining and untangling gender roles, body image issues and her sexuality.
—Lyndsey Havens, Billboard, 6 Oct. 2025
The unique energy coming off Dickinson in the role seems to have been hard-earned — a result of his years spent tying the knots of his own masculinity and then eventually untangling them.
—Carrie Battan, Vulture, 6 Oct. 2025
The show, so far, has emphasized a clear-eyed approach to its subjects’ misdeeds, but also curiosity about untangling their psyches.
—Daniel D'addario, Variety, 30 Sep. 2025
With the help of resourceful Marie Kreutz (Franka Potente), Bourne evades capture from the CIA — namely data analyst Nicky Parsons (Julia Stiles) and Deputy Director Ward Abbott (Brian Cox) — while untangling his involvement in the deadly Operation Treadstone.
—Declan Gallagher, Entertainment Weekly, 13 Sep. 2025
For Glessner Lee, the puzzle of untangling the truth about violent deaths proved irresistible.
—Katie Hafner, Scientific American, 10 Sep. 2025
Many modern and contemporary writers are drawn to the villanelle as a way to circle around their subject matter, exploring obsession, enchantment, brooding, or the slow work of untangling a difficult emotion.
—The Editors, JSTOR Daily, 19 Aug. 2025
James Folta, Literary Hub, 6 Nov. 2025
Hanging ornaments with care can be one of the highlights of the holiday season, but untangling wads of string lights is far less enjoyable.
—Maggie Horton, PEOPLE, 22 Oct. 2025
The album was heralded as Lorde’s most personal project to date, with the singer examining and untangling gender roles, body image issues and her sexuality.
—Lyndsey Havens, Billboard, 6 Oct. 2025
The unique energy coming off Dickinson in the role seems to have been hard-earned — a result of his years spent tying the knots of his own masculinity and then eventually untangling them.
—Carrie Battan, Vulture, 6 Oct. 2025
The show, so far, has emphasized a clear-eyed approach to its subjects’ misdeeds, but also curiosity about untangling their psyches.
—Daniel D'addario, Variety, 30 Sep. 2025
With the help of resourceful Marie Kreutz (Franka Potente), Bourne evades capture from the CIA — namely data analyst Nicky Parsons (Julia Stiles) and Deputy Director Ward Abbott (Brian Cox) — while untangling his involvement in the deadly Operation Treadstone.
—Declan Gallagher, Entertainment Weekly, 13 Sep. 2025
For Glessner Lee, the puzzle of untangling the truth about violent deaths proved irresistible.
—Katie Hafner, Scientific American, 10 Sep. 2025
Many modern and contemporary writers are drawn to the villanelle as a way to circle around their subject matter, exploring obsession, enchantment, brooding, or the slow work of untangling a difficult emotion.
—The Editors, JSTOR Daily, 19 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for untangling
Verb
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With storms closing in, dwindling fuel, and a panicked, pregnant passenger at the controls, Braden must talk her through an impossible landing while fighting his own exhaustion, guilt, and unraveling personal life.—
Borys Kit,
HollywoodReporter,
5 Nov. 2025
-
Abandoned Mansion smells like history and curiosity intertwined, the scent of someone worth unraveling.—
Adam Hurly,
Robb Report,
5 Nov. 2025
Verb
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Sketches such as last night’s Oval Office monologue compact the coal of the administration’s info dumps into little diamonds of comedy, freeing the writers and cast to pursue more escapist fare.—
Erik Adams,
The Atlantic,
9 Nov. 2025
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If confirmed by future research, the approach could provide a powerful new weapon to fight heart disease, the nation's leading killer, freeing people from the need to take statins and other cholesterol-lowering drugs every day.—
NPR,
NPR,
8 Nov. 2025
Verb
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Ten-year-olds are saving their allowances for $70 moisturizers and $90 serums, mimicking influencer routines meant for adults.—
Eva Roytburg,
Fortune,
9 Nov. 2025
-
Cincinnati fire personnel attempted life-saving measures, but Spruill was determined to have died at the scene.—
Gillian Stawiszynski,
Cincinnati Enquirer,
7 Nov. 2025
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
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Actually, this reality can be liberating.—
Tom Krasovic,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
5 Nov. 2025
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In less than a decade, Cabral united more than a million Guineans in the struggle against Portuguese colonial rule, liberating three-quarters of the countryside of Guinea-Bissau and inspiring other African nations to rebel and claim their independence.—
Leo Barraclough,
Variety,
28 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Untangling.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/untangling. Accessed 16 Nov. 2025.
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