Synonym Chooser

How does the verb untangle differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of untangle are disembarrass, disencumber, disentangle, and extricate. While all these words mean "to free from what binds or holds back," disentangle and untangle suggest painstaking separation of a thing from other things.

disentangling fact from fiction
untangle a web of deceit

When might disembarrass be a better fit than untangle?

The meanings of disembarrass and untangle largely overlap; however, disembarrass suggests a release from something that impedes or hinders.

disembarrassed herself of her advisers

When can disencumber be used instead of untangle?

The synonyms disencumber and untangle are sometimes interchangeable, but disencumber implies a release from something that clogs or weighs down.

an article disencumbered of jargon

When is it sensible to use extricate instead of untangle?

The words extricate and untangle are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, extricate implies the use of care or ingenuity in freeing from a difficult position or situation.

extricated himself from financial difficulties

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 untangle And there is no indication that said rights issues will ever be untangled. Matt Webb Mitovich, TVLine, 4 Apr. 2025 Check out this six-pack of clear plastic storage bins to whip your refrigerator into shape, or this $5 jewelry organizer that will keep your necklaces untangled indefinitely. Stephanie Osmanski, Better Homes & Gardens, 30 Mar. 2025 Leaders and employees alike can untangle these barriers, creating spaces where authenticity is respected. Bydr. Marita Kinney, Bcc, Forbes, 25 Mar. 2025 So Far Raised in the southeast London neighborhood of Lewisham, Jim often untangles complicated feelings about his life growing up on the last stop on the Elizabeth line, an area that sees among the highest crime levels in the city. Jeff Ihaza, Rolling Stone, 19 Mar. 2025 See All Example Sentences for untangle
Recent Examples of Synonyms for untangle
Verb
  • The celebrated photographer captures a world already unravelling.
    Lee Sharrock, Forbes.com, 17 Apr. 2025
  • Is there anything remotely luxurious about a $5,000+ bag whose stitching begins to unravel after only a handful of wears?
    Naomi Rougeau, Robb Report, 16 Apr. 2025
Verb
  • That changed in 2021 under former Mayor Lori Lightfoot, as part of an effort to disentangle finances between the city and the district.
    Ikram Mohamed, Chicago Tribune, 13 Feb. 2025
  • This isn’t one of those Marvel movies that fans had begun to trash for getting swallowed up by CGI and strangled by too many multiverse tentacles to disentangle.
    Owen Gleiberman, Variety, 12 Feb. 2025
Verb
  • Four months into his second term, the sprint is on: SAB 121 is gone, freeing banks from punitive capital rules on digital‑asset custody; April’s bill scrapped the nightmare cost‑basis paperwork for DeFi; and the DOJ has shuttered its crypto task force, vowing to chase scammers, not software.
    Crypto Confidential, Forbes.com, 21 Apr. 2025
  • In the month following Hamas's October 7, 2023 attack and Hamas's seizing of hundreds of Israeli hostages, Francis had prayed they would soon be freed and called for dialogue.
    Josh Hammer, MSNBC Newsweek, 21 Apr. 2025
Verb
  • Bobby manages to save Chimney, who falls ill and starts coughing up blood while responding to the lab blaze.
    Taijuan Moorman, USA Today, 23 Apr. 2025
  • Knowing which plants that are tricky to grow from seed will save you time, effort, and frustration Growing plants from seeds is a fun way to participate in the life cycle.
    Lauren David, Southern Living, 22 Apr. 2025
Verb
  • Firefighters had to extricate the man, who was not wearing a seatbelt, authorities said.
    Clifford Ward, Chicago Tribune, 10 Mar. 2025
  • Police said that Johnson was extricated from her car using the jaws of life and was later pronounced dead at the scene.
    Charlotte Phillipp, People.com, 8 Mar. 2025
Verb
  • Photo: Courtesy of Hannah Jackson Eighty years ago today, on April 11, 1945, Morris was liberated from the Buchenwald concentration camp in Weimar, Germany.
    Hannah Jackson, Vogue, 11 Apr. 2025
  • In liberating Hollywood movies from the social context, younger viewers also liberated them from their commercial roots, from the very notion of popularity, which was central to Kael’s understanding of the art of movies.
    Richard Brody, New Yorker, 8 Apr. 2025
Verb
  • Customers may redeem a free Ben & Jerry's scoop of their choice, cone included, at any participating Ben & Jerry's Scoop Shop on Free Cone Day.
    Amaris Encinas, USA Today, 8 Apr. 2025
  • Raise your status to redeem better bonuses and discounts for traveling. NHL fans can find a Hat Trick Jackpot.
    Gordon G. Chang, MSNBC Newsweek, 8 Apr. 2025
Verb
  • If, instead, your pet disengages from the situation, leave them be.
    Thomas G. Moukawsher, MSNBC Newsweek, 17 Apr. 2025
  • Just 31% of employees reported feeling engaged, while 17% described themselves as actively disengaged.
    Julia Korn, Forbes.com, 16 Apr. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Untangle.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/untangle. Accessed 25 Apr. 2025.

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