1
as in fraying
to separate the various strands of
it took us forever to unravel the jumbled mass of Christmas tree lights
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in solving
to find an answer for through reasoning
unraveled the mystery
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of unraveling
Now an obvious fix passed by Congress last year is at risk of unraveling because of partisan horse trading.
—
Editorial Board, Washington Post, 6 June 2026
Progress that once seemed irreversible is now unraveling.
—Christina Ray Stanton, Time, 2 June 2026
Ray Ferraro had one of the best views of this dream season unraveling for the Colorado Avalanche.
—Corey Masisak, Denver Post, 31 May 2026
At the same time that the GKN situation was unraveling, the rupture of a chemical tank containing a different chemical mixture killed 11 people at a paper mill in Washington state.
—Jason Henry, Oc Register, 30 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
Returning to the treacherous halls of Reagan High, Jawbreaker The Musical is described as a high-gloss teen thriller that follows the rise—and unraveling—of a ruthless clique of teenage girls whose reign of power takes a deadly turn.
—Glenn Garner, Deadline, 20 May 2026
This is a market recalibrating—not unraveling.
—Lee Kiser, Forbes.com, 20 May 2026
Senate Republicans and White House allies had warned that House changes risked unraveling a broader bipartisan coalition behind the measure.
—Claire Carter, The Washington Examiner, 20 May 2026
Editorial Board, Washington Post, 6 June 2026
Progress that once seemed irreversible is now unraveling.
—Christina Ray Stanton, Time, 2 June 2026
Ray Ferraro had one of the best views of this dream season unraveling for the Colorado Avalanche.
—Corey Masisak, Denver Post, 31 May 2026
At the same time that the GKN situation was unraveling, the rupture of a chemical tank containing a different chemical mixture killed 11 people at a paper mill in Washington state.
—Jason Henry, Oc Register, 30 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
Returning to the treacherous halls of Reagan High, Jawbreaker The Musical is described as a high-gloss teen thriller that follows the rise—and unraveling—of a ruthless clique of teenage girls whose reign of power takes a deadly turn.
—Glenn Garner, Deadline, 20 May 2026
This is a market recalibrating—not unraveling.
—Lee Kiser, Forbes.com, 20 May 2026
Senate Republicans and White House allies had warned that House changes risked unraveling a broader bipartisan coalition behind the measure.
—Claire Carter, The Washington Examiner, 20 May 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for unraveling
Verb
-
Repairing the country’s fraying social ties will be a challenge.—
Tristan Bove,
Fortune,
26 May 2026
-
And with the existing safety net of services fraying as never before, our work is more important than ever.—
Deidre Johnson,
Denver Post,
25 May 2026
Verb
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Now a botanist and apothecary, Cadfael aids the local sheriff in solving all manner of crimes committed in and near Shrewsbury Abbey during England’s 15-year civil war known now as the Anarchy.—
Culture Critic,
Los Angeles Times,
8 June 2026
-
The protagonist’s obsession with solving the young girl’s apparent murder seems tied to events in her past, which al-Mansour and editors Rafael Nur and Steve Cohen introduce through dreamlike flashbacks.—
Siddhant Adlakha,
Variety,
8 June 2026
Verb
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The fundamental goal of the 1787 Constitution was to establish a republican form of government — and that meant disentangling the traditional powers of the monarch and placing them in different branches of government.—
David French,
Mercury News,
3 Mar. 2026
-
Embedded in a patriarchal family within an oppressive society, Mrie faces the challenge of disentangling herself from both.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
24 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Given the breakout to new highs, the market appears to be answering yes.—
,
CNBC,
3 June 2026
-
Instead of answering, Brunson asked a question himself.—
James L. Edwards III,
New York Times,
3 June 2026
Verb
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In a feat of precision physics, researchers from Cornell and Stanford Universities have filmed atoms twisting and untwisting in perfect sync, a choreography that unfolds in just a trillionth of a second.—
Neetika Walter,
Interesting Engineering,
12 Nov. 2025
Verb
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According to the firm, Kutner has been involved in resolving approximately 40,000 cases over the course of his career and has represented clients seeking compensation for a variety of injury claims.—
Kaitlyn Gomez,
USA Today,
8 June 2026
-
While resolving the Iran conflict is complex and there are many non-economic considerations, those realities do not excuse political theatrics.—
Wayne Winegarden,
Oc Register,
7 June 2026
Verb
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To compound the stress, those returning from time off frequently face a mountain of catch-up work, instantly undoing the good vibes.—
Megan Cerullo,
CBS News,
8 June 2026
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If the Crown Estate or royal household now sees greater utility in returning the property to multiple units, that's not necessarily undoing Harry and Meghan's work so much as adapting the space to different needs.—
Stephanie Nolasco , Ashley Papa,
FOXNews.com,
3 June 2026
Verb
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So when a diabetic patient develops gastroparesis, untangling whether the drug or the disease is responsible is genuinely difficult.—
Ryan Brennan
June 11,
Charlotte Observer,
11 June 2026
-
Navy excels at untangling human emotions and picking through them without being didactic or moralistic.—
Dash Lewis,
Pitchfork,
10 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Unraveling.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/unraveling. Accessed 12 Jun. 2026.
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