extricate

[ek-stri-keyt]

verb (used with object)

extricated, extricating 

1. to free or release from entanglement; disengage.

   to extricate someone from a dangerous situation.

   Synonyms: liberate, deliver, rescue, loose, loose

2. to liberate (gas) from combination, as in a chemical process.

extricate

/ ˈɛkstrɪˌkeɪt /

verb

1. to remove or free from complication, hindrance, or difficulty; disentangle

Other Word Forms

• extrication noun
• unextricated adjective
• extricable adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of extricate¹

First recorded in 1605–15; from Latin extricātus (past participle of extricāre ), equivalent to ex- ex- ¹ + tric(ae) “perplexities” + -ātus -ate ¹

Word History and Origins

Origin of extricate¹

C17: from Latin extrīcāre to disentangle, from _ex- ¹ + trīcae trifles, vexations

Example Sentences

If your friend shows no desire to change their behaviour and you cannot extricate yourself from each other's lives, it is important to put in place clear boundaries to protect yourself.

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President Macron insists he can extricate the country from the mess but he has just 18 months remaining of his second term.

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Broadcasts have depicted rescue crews picking through the rubble of destroyed buildings to extricate survivors in cities mostly untouched in previous bouts of violence, such as Tel Aviv.

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Emergency personnel extricated the man from the vehicle, and he was pronounced dead.

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Their bodies were extricated not by trained rescuers, but by locals who used rudimentary equipment.

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Related Words

• bail out 
• detach 
• differentiate 
• disengage 
• disentangle 
• extract 
• liberate 
• rescue