untangle
Americanverb (used with object)
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to bring out of a tangled state; disentangle; unsnarl.
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to straighten out or clear up (anything confused or perplexing).
verb
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to free from a tangled condition
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to free from perplexity or confusion
Other Word Forms
Conjugated Forms
Present
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have untangledperfect
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has untangledperfect 3rd person singular
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have been untanglingperfect progressive
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am untanglingprogressive 1st person singular
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has been untanglingperfect progressive 3rd person singular
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is untanglingprogressive 3rd person singular
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untanglessingular 3rd person
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untanglingparticiple
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are untanglingprogressive
Past
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had untangledperfect
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was untanglingprogressive singular
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were untanglingprogressive plural
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had been untanglingperfect progressive
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untangledparticiple
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untangledsimple
Future
Etymology
Origin of untangle
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.
This suggests the technology could untangle other long-unsolved math riddles.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 2, 2026
Mercifully, Aviv has bravely attempted to untangle the mother-daughter dynamic and bring it into the light.
From Los Angeles Times • May 12, 2026
The authors found that early squamate evolution involved a great deal of anatomical experimentation and convergent evolution, which helps explain why the earliest snake story has been so difficult to untangle from fossils alone.
From Science Daily • Apr. 24, 2026
There will be a lot for investors to untangle on Thursday afternoon, when FedEx announces External link its fiscal third-quarter numbers.
From Barron's • Mar. 19, 2026
He was shouting so, it took us a spell to untangle what he was saying.
From "The Seven Wonders of Sassafras Springs" by Betty G. Birney
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
