untangle

verb

un·​tan·​gle ˌən-ˈtaŋ-gəl 

untangled; untangling; untangles

transitive verb

: to loose from tangles or entanglement : straighten out

untangle a knot

untangle a mystery

Synonyms

• disentangle
• ravel (out)
• unbraid
• unlay
• unravel
• unsnarl
• untwine
• untwist
• unweave

Choose the Right Synonym for untangle

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 untangle in a Sentence

She carefully untangled the child's hair.

He untangled the garden hose.

Recent Examples on the Web

Kilmer said better data on drug use are needed to untangle exactly what is driving the changes. —Emily Alpert Reyes, Los Angeles Times, 15 May 2024

The Confusion Over Galvanizing As if all this wasn’t confusing enough, there is another semantic knot to untangle regarding the difference between electroplating and galvanizing. —Allen Farmelo, Robb Report, 13 May 2024

And gone are the days of untangling my necklaces after arriving home because this box even boasts a hidden pocket with five hooks and an elasticized pouch to hang chains neatly and with ease. —Merrell Readman, Travel + Leisure, 3 May 2024

For one, untangling a school’s financial interests to all companies with ties to Israel would be complicated, experts say. —Cnn.com Wire Service, The Mercury News, 30 Apr. 2024

Supply chain disruptions have proven slow to untangle, while the country is also digesting the effects of falling demand from its key trading partner, China. —Ryan Hogg, Fortune Europe, 21 Mar. 2024

The appealing and mordantly witty Daryl McCormack (last seen in Good Luck to You, Leo Grande) is the detective trying to untangle it all. —Vogue, 21 Mar. 2024

With various owners and companies involved – and with some maritime laws predating even the Titanic sinking – untangling the web, figuring out who owes what, and addressing the damages from both lives lost and to physical structures will be complex. —Catherine Thorbecke, CNN, 28 Mar. 2024

As a member of the firm, he was enlisted to untangle corporate governance imbroglios at Bethlehem Steel, the Walt Disney Company, General Electric, General Motors, Macy’s, Tyco International and Westinghouse, among other companies. —Sam Roberts, New York Times, 14 Mar. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1550, in the meaning defined above

Kids Definition

untangle

verb

un·​tan·​gle ˌən-ˈtaŋ-gəl 

ˈən-

1

: to remove a tangle from : disentangle

untangle a knot

2

: to straighten out : resolve

untangle a mystery