extricate

verb

ex·​tri·​cate ˈek-strə-ˌkāt 

extricated; extricating

transitive verb

1

: to free or remove from an entanglement or difficulty

2

a

: to distinguish from a related thing

b

archaic : unravel

extricable

ik-ˈstri-kə-bəl 

ek-ˈstri-

ˈek-(ˌ)stri- 

adjective

extrication

ˌek-strə-ˈkā-shən 

noun

Did you know?

Extricate is used for the act of freeing someone or something from a tangled situation. Its spelling and meaning comes from Latin extricatus, which combines the prefix ex- ("out of") with the noun tricae, meaning "trifles or perplexities." The resemblance of tricae to trick is no illusion—it's an ancestor.

Synonyms

• clear
• disembarrass
• disengage
• disentangle
• free
• liberate
• release
• untangle

Choose the Right Synonym for extricate

extricate, disentangle, untangle, disencumber, disembarrass mean to free from what binds or holds back.

extricate implies the use of care or ingenuity in freeing from a difficult position or situation.

extricated himself from financial difficulties

disentangle and untangle suggest painstaking separation of a thing from other things.

disentangling fact from fiction

untangle a web of deceit

disencumber implies a release from something that clogs or weighs down.

an article disencumbered of jargon

disembarrass suggests a release from something that impedes or hinders.

disembarrassed herself of her advisers

Examples of extricate in a Sentence

Several survivors were extricated from the wreckage.

They extricated the tractor from the mud.

She hasn't been able to extricate herself from her legal problems.

Recent Examples on the Web

One day after a harrowing rescue attempt, a mountain goat extricated from a precarious perch under a Kansas City bridge Monday evening is alive and well, KC Pet Project said. —Noelle Alviz-Gransee, Kansas City Star, 9 Apr. 2024

First responders spent nearly two hours stabilizing the vehicle and extricating the driver, the agency posted on X. The crash was reported near 11327 Cottontail Lane in Douglas County at 11:37 a.m. —Katie Langford, The Denver Post, 2 Feb. 2024

Local authorities and rescuers located the deceased woman upon entering the cave, and eventually extricated her body. —Brian Anthony Hernandez, Peoplemag, 15 Jan. 2024

Chernov says he and his colleagues, the only international journalists left on the ground, were eventually hunted by Russian forces and had to be extricated by a special Ukrainian task force. —Katie Kilkenny, The Hollywood Reporter, 16 Feb. 2024

According to Peter DeYoung, the center's chief medical officer, the driver was extricated from the vehicle and given CPR, but died on the scene. —Lawrence Yee, Peoplemag, 14 Feb. 2024

One person was extricated from the plane by firefighters while another managed to escape on their own, Orange County Fire Authority Capt. —Nathaniel Percy, Orange County Register, 11 Feb. 2024

Yet filing for bankruptcy is a maneuver Trump has used before — six times, when extricating himself from a tumultuous foray into the Atlantic City casino business decades ago. —Josh Dawsey, Washington Post, 20 Mar. 2024

Firefighters extricated the 12-year-old girl after the tree nearly sliced the pickup truck in half, KRON reported. —Don Sweeney, Sacramento Bee, 1 Feb. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Latin extricatus, past participle of extricare, from ex- + tricae trifles, perplexities

First Known Use

1601, in the meaning defined at sense 2b

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Kids Definition

extricate

verb

ex·​tri·​cate ˈek-strə-ˌkāt 

extricated; extricating

: to free or remove from entanglement or difficulty

extricable

ek-ˈstrik-ə-bəl  ˈek-(ˌ)strik- 

adjective

extrication

ˌek-strə-ˈkā-shən 

noun