disentangle

[dis-en-tang-guh l]

See more synonyms for disentangle on Thesaurus.com

verb (used with or without object), dis·en·tan·gled, dis·en·tan·gling.

to free or become free from entanglement; untangle; extricate (often followed by from).

Origin of disentangle

First recorded in 1590–1600; dis-¹ + entangle

Related formsdis·en·tan·gle·ment, noundis·en·tan·gler, noun

Synonyms

See more synonyms for disentangle on Thesaurus.com

disembarrass, disencumber.

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Examples from the Web for disentangle

Contemporary Examples

So it's hard to disentangle any possible negative effects from the effects of divorce and other family instability.
Can Gay Marriage Solve Our Adoption Problem?
Megan McArdle
March 29, 2013
All of these factors are related to cognitive enhancement, but they're difficult to disentangle.
Busting the Adderall Myth
Casey Schwartz
December 21, 2010
But how then do we disentangle from this place in a responsible way?
The Hotspots No Speech Can Fix
Leslie H. Gelb
September 23, 2009

Historical Examples

Yes; he has come over to disentangle the mystery about the diamonds.
Jennie Baxter, Journalist
Robert Barr
He cannot disentangle the arts from the virtues—at least he is always arguing from one to the other.
The Republic
Plato
The student of this day finds it difficult to disentangle the varied accounts.
The Siege of Boston
Allen French
It was impossible to disentangle one's activity from its debasing contacts.
Nostromo: A Tale of the Seaboard
Joseph Conrad
So I have tried to disentangle it, and give it here in a simpler form.
The Early Short Fiction of Edith Wharton, Part 1 (of 10)
Edith Wharton

British Dictionary definitions for disentangle

disentangle

verb

to release or become free from entanglement or confusion
(tr) to unravel or work out

Derived Formsdisentanglement, noun

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

Word Origin and History for disentangle

v.

1590s; see dis- + entangle. Related: Disentangled; disentangling.

disentangle

Origin of .css-1fxfie5{font-size:22px;}@media (max-width:768px){.css-1fxfie5{font-size:18px;margin:0 10px 10px 0;word-break:break-all;word-wrap:break-word;-webkit-hyphens:auto;-moz-hyphens:auto;-ms-hyphens:auto;hyphens:auto;line-height:22px;}}disentangle

Synonyms

Examples from the Web for disentangle

Contemporary Examples

So it's hard to disentangle any possible negative effects from the effects of divorce and other family instability.

All of these factors are related to cognitive enhancement, but they're difficult to disentangle.

But how then do we disentangle from this place in a responsible way?

Historical Examples

Yes; he has come over to disentangle the mystery about the diamonds.

He cannot disentangle the arts from the virtues—at least he is always arguing from one to the other.

The student of this day finds it difficult to disentangle the varied accounts.

It was impossible to disentangle one's activity from its debasing contacts.

So I have tried to disentangle it, and give it here in a simpler form.

disentangle

Word Origin and History for disentangle

v.

Origin of disentangle