unravel
Americanverb (used with object)
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to separate or disentangle the threads of (a woven or knitted fabric, a rope, etc.).
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to free from complication or difficulty; make plain or clear; solve.
to unravel a situation; to unravel a mystery.
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Informal. to take apart; undo; destroy (a plan, agreement, or arrangement).
verb (used without object)
verb
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(tr) to reduce (something knitted or woven) to separate strands
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(tr) to undo or untangle (something tangled or knotted)
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(tr) to explain or solve
the mystery was unravelled
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(intr) to become unravelled
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of unravel
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.
Vocabulary lists containing unravel
Power Prefix: un-
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List 11
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Where the Red Fern Grows
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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.
Purple Hibiscus is at the Barbican until 18 August, as part of Unravel: The Power and Politics of Textiles In Art, which is open until 26 May.
From BBC • Apr. 19, 2024
Free tools such as YearCompass and Unravel Your Year can help you identify what “sparks joy” for you and what you want more of in your life, Davis says.
From Seattle Times • Jan. 23, 2023
Unravel this and you will be rewarded with the fudgiest brownies known to mankind.
From Salon • Dec. 4, 2021
A few days later, Grande appeared in a gathered tangerine skirt and matching boots by Unravel on her Sweetener world tour, in Albany, N.Y.
From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 22, 2019
Unravel the invisible threads linking us together one by one.
From "The Darkest Minds" by Alexandra Bracken
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.
