1
as in to fray
to separate the various strands of
it took us forever to unravel the jumbled mass of Christmas tree lights
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to solve
to find an answer for through reasoning
unraveled the mystery
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of unravel
In the third, things really unraveled for Woods Richardson and the Twins (27-30).
—
Betsy Helfand, Twin Cities, 28 May 2026
There’s a big strike coming one way, the bigger strike coming back, and that’s how these things unravel and keep going.
—Emily Hallas, The Washington Examiner, 27 May 2026
An out of work actor lands and auction to be the next James Bond, everyone has an opinion on it, and soon his life starts to unravel.
—Michael Schneider, Variety, 26 May 2026
This has been especially helpful for tracking medical bills and unraveling the way-too-frequent billing errors after a major medical event.
—Inga, San Diego Union-Tribune, 25 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for unravel
Betsy Helfand, Twin Cities, 28 May 2026
There’s a big strike coming one way, the bigger strike coming back, and that’s how these things unravel and keep going.
—Emily Hallas, The Washington Examiner, 27 May 2026
An out of work actor lands and auction to be the next James Bond, everyone has an opinion on it, and soon his life starts to unravel.
—Michael Schneider, Variety, 26 May 2026
This has been especially helpful for tracking medical bills and unraveling the way-too-frequent billing errors after a major medical event.
—Inga, San Diego Union-Tribune, 25 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for unravel
Recent Examples of Synonyms for unravel
Verb
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The commercial-grade knitted fabric is designed to resist tearing and fraying.—
BestReviews,
Mercury News,
10 June 2026
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No matter what style Barnes is toying with, their antenna perks up when relationships start to fray.—
Ethan Beck,
Pitchfork,
9 June 2026
Verb
-
Despite having tiny brains, bumblebees have demonstrated a remarkable ability to socially learn how to use tools, solve simple puzzles, and cooperate to achieve a goal.—
Jennifer Ouellette,
ArsTechnica,
4 June 2026
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Palantir solved the prisoner’s dilemma by defecting first.—
Michael Gregory,
The Conversation,
4 June 2026
Verb
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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
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Scientists have long tried to untangle how pigeons travel without getting lost.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
28 May 2026
Verb
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It was revealed in March that the Hornets are sending a 2026 second-round pick to the Heat to resolve a dispute over Rozier being under NBA and federal investigation over alleged gambling when Charlotte traded him to Miami in January 2024.—
Anthony Chiang
June 4,
Miami Herald,
4 June 2026
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For instance, the department might allow trusts to take unlimited deductions on distributing income to beneficiaries such as family members, which would resolve the biggest concern for financial advisors, Miller said.—
Hayley Cuccinello,
CNBC,
4 June 2026
Verb
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The patterns bear the hallmarks of overlapping portfolio-management strategies, often index-based and much of it likely automated, and all of it difficult to disentangle.—
Justina Lee,
Fortune,
23 May 2026
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This is practically impossible for something with an enormous mass like a planet or star, as there’s no known way to disentangle the gravitational constant (G) from a mass (M) from orbital mechanics alone.—
Big Think,
Big Think,
6 May 2026
Verb
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As was ever the case, the Babe returned fire, answering the heckles by mocking the Cubs players and disdaining their fans.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
8 June 2026
-
Russian athletes are routinely asked to answer for the actions of their government, yet athletes from other countries are rarely subjected to the same scrutiny or treated as though they are personally aligned with war criminals or dictators.—
Jon Root OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
7 June 2026
Verb
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Daily untwisted the beer bottle cap, poured it into his shoe, and took a healthy swig, standing up for dramatic effect.—
Marina Watts,
Entertainment Weekly,
3 June 2026
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For that matter, how many chiropractic bills have been incurred by members of Congress who needed help untwisting their backbones contorted by bowing to Trump’s demands? Victims, each and every one.—
Pat Beall,
Sun Sentinel,
22 May 2026
Verb
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How to unsnarl the emotions that play tug-of-war with our souls?—
Michael Schulman,
New Yorker,
15 Dec. 2025
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During the recent supply-chain crisis, XPO helped unsnarl bottlenecks for customers in several industries.—
Joann S. Lublin,
Time,
27 Nov. 2022
Cite this Entry
“Unravel.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/unravel. Accessed 11 Jun. 2026.
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