untie

verb

un·​tie ˌən-ˈtī 

untied; untying or untieing

transitive verb

1

: to free from something that ties, fastens, or restrains : unbind

untied our hands

2

a

: to disengage the knotted parts of

untie a shoe

b

: disentangle, resolve

untie a traffic jam

intransitive verb

: to become loosened or unbound

Synonyms of untie

• unfasten
• undo
• loosen
• unbind

Examples of untie in a Sentence

He untied the package and opened it.

She untied the horse from the post.

Recent Examples on the Web

Many had called for new progressive revenue measures throughout the session, including taxes on big corporations and billionaires and for Illinois to untie itself from parts of the federal tax code. —Lauren Victory, CBS News, 1 June 2026

Then, just as Clark is preparing to untie Mary, the monstrous Lifeform that killed Kat and Bobby and has been haunting the Backrooms ducks through the door. —Megan McCluskey, Time, 29 May 2026

The Nationals took the lead for good in the seventh inning when rookie John Klein allowed a solo home run to Keibert Ruiz, untying a game that pinch hitter Josh Bell had knotted up a half-inning earlier. —Betsy Helfand, Twin Cities, 7 May 2026

As the Knicks pulled away in the third quarter of Game 1, Hart bent down during a stoppage in play and, without saying a word, subtly untied the shoe of Fallon, who was seated courtside. —Peter Sblendorio, New York Daily News, 6 May 2026

Word History

First Known Use

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Rhymes for untie

• ai
• aye
• bae
• bi
• buy
• by
• bye
• chai
• chi
• cry
• die
• dry

Kids Definition

untie

verb

un·​tie ˌən-ˈtī 

ˈən-

untied; untying or untieing

1

: to free from something that ties or fastens : unbind

untie a horse

2

a

: to undo the knotted parts of

untied her scarf

b

: to straighten out : resolve

untie a traffic jam

3

: to become loosened or unbound

the strings untied easily