Synonyms

unravel

American

[uhn-rav-uhl] / ʌnˈræv əl /

verb (used with object)

to separate or disentangle the threads of (a woven or knitted fabric, a rope, etc.).
to free from complication or difficulty; make plain or clear; solve.

to unravel a situation; to unravel a mystery.
Informal. to take apart; undo; destroy (a plan, agreement, or arrangement).

verb (used without object)

to become unraveled.

unravel British

/ ʌnˈrævəl /

verb

(tr) to reduce (something knitted or woven) to separate strands
(tr) to undo or untangle (something tangled or knotted)
(tr) to explain or solve

the mystery was unravelled
(intr) to become unravelled

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

Conjugated Forms

Present

Past

Future

Etymology

Origin of unravel

First recorded in 1595–1605; un- ² + ravel

Explanation

However tempting, don't pull that straggly thread hanging from your sleeve. You'll just unravel, or totally undo, your hand-knitted sweater. Something that's unraveled has been completely undone, whether it's a spool of thread, some knotty shoelaces, or your mental state after a long and frustrating day. You can also unravel a mystery by picking it apart, untangling the details or just following the trail of clues like a line of string.

Keep Reading on Vocabulary.com

Vocabulary lists containing unravel

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Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

The risk is in how quickly it could unravel.

From MarketWatch • Jun. 8, 2026

It all began to unravel for Greensill when an insurance policy that kept the business humming expired in early 2021.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 4, 2026

Art and artist, creation and creator, she left behind a now-century-old mystery we’re still trying to unravel.

From Los Angeles Times • May 28, 2026

Last year, Barron’s reported on the rise of cryptographically relevant quantum computers—theoretical, fault-tolerant machines powerful enough to unravel modern public-key cryptography.

From Barron's • May 22, 2026

I wanted to pull the thread, unravel the scarf of my silence and start again from the beginning, but instead I said, “I.”

From "Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close" by Jonathan Safran Foer

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023