UNTANGLING Synonyms: 61 Similar and Opposite Words

untangling

verb

present participle of untangle

as in unraveling

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

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in freeing

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

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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 untangling Researchers will spend years untangling the two, and policymakers will be reading corridor numbers that mean less every quarter. — Zennon Kapron, Forbes.com, 17 July 2026 Mike walked up and down the boat, untangling lines, re-tying lures, and helping anyone who needed it. — Matthew Every, Outdoor Life, 8 July 2026 So when a diabetic patient develops gastroparesis, untangling whether the drug or the disease is responsible is genuinely difficult. — Ryan Brennan, Charlotte Observer, 13 June 2026 Navy excels at untangling human emotions and picking through them without being didactic or moralistic. — Dash Lewis, Pitchfork, 10 June 2026 Because family court dockets are heavily backlogged, critics say a guardian’s recommendation often becomes the final word, despite the grueling and complex nature of the disputes they are tasked with untangling. — Shira Moolten, Sun Sentinel, 4 June 2026 The Seattle Mariners were an out away from untangling a messy fifth inning against the Kansas City Royals on Sunday afternoon. — Jaylon Thompson, Kansas City Star, 24 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

Recent Examples of Synonyms for untangling

Verb

The story begins after her death, with Faye waking in the Everywhen to find her protective plans for Kratos and Atreus unraveling, facing antagonists like Sekhmet.

— Brian Mazique, Forbes.com, 25 July 2026
Irsay-Gordon, however, likened the Colts’ unraveling to pressing pause on a movie.

— James Boyd, New York Times, 23 July 2026

Definition of unraveling

Verb

Where previous generations tended to stall partway, the model could carry a researcher's experiment through to the end, freeing them to run more at once.

— Harry Booth, Time, 7 Aug. 2026
The extra compression zipper shrinks the bulk of everything from linen dresses to matching sets, freeing up valuable suitcase space without sacrificing organization.

— Rosie Marder, Travel + Leisure, 7 Aug. 2026

Definition of freeing

Verb

View gallery - 12 images Rather than attempting to squeeze in multiple bedrooms or tons of storage, the Luna Nook keeps things simple with a space-saving design to make its modest footprint feel pleasant to spend time in.

— New Atlas, New Atlas, 6 Aug. 2026
Build in a genuine controls assessment on a regular cycle, and keep frequent, informal touchpoints with your external auditor rather than saving every question for the end of the year.

— Marc Blythe, Forbes.com, 6 Aug. 2026

Definition of saving

Verb

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

Definition of disentangling

Verb

After largely extricating itself from Iraq in 2011, the United States had to send troops back in 2014 to fight the Islamic State, or ISIS, which emerged from the post-invasion chaos.

— Michael Fuchs, Foreign Affairs, 6 Aug. 2026
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

Definition of extricating

Verb

But at the same time, there was something in really wanting to challenge myself and just surrendering to having the experience of being that person, that felt artistically really satisfying and kind of liberating.

— Beatrice Verhoeven, HollywoodReporter, 1 Aug. 2026
Personal revelations feel liberating under the Aquarius full moon.

— USA TODAY, USA Today, 29 July 2026

Definition of liberating

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untangles

untangling

untanned

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“Untangling.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/untangling. Accessed 11 Aug. 2026.

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Synonyms of untangling

verb

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