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
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
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
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
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for untangling
Verb
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As a new Fortune magazine feature reveals, the gold hoarding reflects a belief on the part of Tether’s CEO that Western economies are unraveling and that his firm can be an anchor of stability in an unstable world.—
Carlos Garcia,
Fortune,
30 Jan. 2026
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Though obviously much of the show is staying under the dome, where the idyllic nature of its society is quickly unraveling.—
Paul Tassi,
Forbes.com,
29 Jan. 2026
Verb
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The price point is also well within my budget this winter, freeing me up to snag some other pieces from my wish list.—
Merrell Readman,
Travel + Leisure,
1 Feb. 2026
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Combine the 100-plus union welfare funds and annuity funds, freeing massive amounts in administrative costs.—
Voice of the People,
New York Daily News,
1 Feb. 2026
Verb
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The result is a sector doing critical, often life-saving work while operating on financial quicksand.—
Cat Ward,
Forbes.com,
29 Jan. 2026
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Millions of people donate blood each year, saving countless lives.—
Maryna Holovnova,
New Atlas,
29 Jan. 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
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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
-
Was that liberating, or more nerve-wracking?—
Lily Ford,
HollywoodReporter,
15 Jan. 2026
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Liberation is funny, poignant and, yes, liberating in its expression of the very human need for justice and freedom in an era when those words have been co-opted by forces who value only self-enrichment.—
Greg Evans,
Deadline,
31 Dec. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Untangling.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/untangling. Accessed 3 Feb. 2026.
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