1
as in unraveling
to separate the various strands of
gently untangled the baby's hair
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in freeing
to set free from entanglement or difficulty
I was finally able to untangle myself from my credit problems
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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 untangling
The Seattle Mariners were an out away from untangling a messy fifth inning against the Kansas City Royals on Sunday afternoon.
—
Jaylon Thompson, Kansas City Star, 24 May 2026
Make untangling tomato stems from their cage at the end of the growing season by allowing the plant to die and dry in place.
—Megan Hughes, Better Homes & Gardens, 12 May 2026
Mosquitoes really do play favorites — and the reasons reveal a fascinating tangle of genetics, body chemistry and evolutionary tracking that scientists are still untangling.
—Ryan Brennan
may 1, Sacbee.com, 1 May 2026
Caoodkdk Cable Organizer Instead of spending time untangling your chargers, use this organizer that will neatly store your cords and small devices in one place.
—Rylee Johnston, Travel + Leisure, 28 Apr. 2026
While staff were momentarily stunned by the sheer volume of the steal, the suspect took advantage of the distraction, untangling himself from the struggle and bolting for the exit before police could arrive.
—Khloe Quill, FOXNews.com, 15 Apr. 2026
As an author, Keefe has specialized in untangling shadowy networks, whether that’s the Provisional IRA or the Sackler family, whose role in the opioid crisis via their ownership of Purdue Pharma was the subject of his book Empire of Pain.
—Julian Sancton, HollywoodReporter, 11 Apr. 2026
Each new skeleton offers another potential data point for untangling these competing migration narratives.
—Ryan Brennan, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 5 Apr. 2026
Creditors confronting both foreign trustees and secured interests must evaluate the cost of untangling each layer.
—Ascend Agency, Chicago Tribune, 12 Mar. 2026
Jaylon Thompson, Kansas City Star, 24 May 2026
Make untangling tomato stems from their cage at the end of the growing season by allowing the plant to die and dry in place.
—Megan Hughes, Better Homes & Gardens, 12 May 2026
Mosquitoes really do play favorites — and the reasons reveal a fascinating tangle of genetics, body chemistry and evolutionary tracking that scientists are still untangling.
—Ryan Brennan
may 1, Sacbee.com, 1 May 2026
Caoodkdk Cable Organizer Instead of spending time untangling your chargers, use this organizer that will neatly store your cords and small devices in one place.
—Rylee Johnston, Travel + Leisure, 28 Apr. 2026
While staff were momentarily stunned by the sheer volume of the steal, the suspect took advantage of the distraction, untangling himself from the struggle and bolting for the exit before police could arrive.
—Khloe Quill, FOXNews.com, 15 Apr. 2026
As an author, Keefe has specialized in untangling shadowy networks, whether that’s the Provisional IRA or the Sackler family, whose role in the opioid crisis via their ownership of Purdue Pharma was the subject of his book Empire of Pain.
—Julian Sancton, HollywoodReporter, 11 Apr. 2026
Each new skeleton offers another potential data point for untangling these competing migration narratives.
—Ryan Brennan, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 5 Apr. 2026
Creditors confronting both foreign trustees and secured interests must evaluate the cost of untangling each layer.
—Ascend Agency, Chicago Tribune, 12 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for untangling
Verb
-
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
Verb
-
This allows easier access to the room than a ladder would, while also freeing up floorspace in the living room.—
Adam Williams
May 31,
New Atlas,
31 May 2026
-
With the courts leading that process, millions of people will have their records automatically cleared, freeing them to get better jobs, housing, and education.—
Eric Levenson,
CNN Money,
30 May 2026
Verb
-
Through rapid technological changes and the growing use of AI, employees are saving a lot of time on repetitive tasks, brainstorming, team collaboration and many other activities that AI can now support.—
Gwen Mdinaradze,
Forbes.com,
28 May 2026
-
Jack Lloyd, the prolific East Bay engineer, entrepreneur and inventor, whose innovations include making the pulse oximeter, a life-saving medical device indispensable in hospitals worldwide, has died at age 90, his family announced this week.—
Martha Ross,
Mercury News,
28 May 2026
Verb
-
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
-
But when specifically asked whether any Americans have been exposed to Ebola, and whether the government is planning on extricating them from the DRC, the CDC’s incident manager, Satish Pillai, did not answer the questions.—
Helen Branswell,
STAT,
17 May 2026
-
Part of the experiment involves Mesler willingly extricating himself from Kordansky’s gallery roster.—
Daniel Cassady,
ARTnews.com,
14 May 2026
Verb
-
Georgacopoulos has made a career out of liberating pearls from their classical, somewhat staid image.—
Kate Matthams,
Forbes.com,
15 May 2026
-
The conflict looms large over the film’s Kosovar Albanian teens — as does institutionalized discrimination against them — but Basholli’s intentionally blinkered focus, through the eyes of her 13-year-old protagonist, proves constraining and liberating all at once.—
Siddhant Adlakha,
Variety,
13 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Untangling.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/untangling. Accessed 3 Jun. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
