disentangle

American  

[dis-en-tang-guhl] / ˌdɪs ɛnˈtæŋ gəl /

verb (used with or without object)

disentangled, disentangling

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

   Synonyms:

   disencumber, disembarrass

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disentangle British  

/ ˌdɪsɪnˈtæŋɡəl /

verb

1. to release or become free from entanglement or confusion

2. (tr) to unravel or work out

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Other Word Forms

• disentanglement noun
• disentangler noun

Etymology

Origin of disentangle

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

Example Sentences

China’s leaders have determined that disentangling the two economies—often called “decoupling” or “derisking”—is inevitable.

From The Wall Street Journal

Sometimes we had to dive deep to disentangle them.

From Literature

Teenagers who listen to aggressive music differ from those who don’t in ways that are hard to observe and harder to disentangle.

From The Wall Street Journal

But these latest emails will once again raise questions over whether they can disentangle themselves from their parents' mess.

From BBC

Once she’s disentangled from all her cleaning supplies, I point at the glass ball.

From Literature

Related Words

• detach
• disengage
• emancipate
• extricate
• unravel
• unscramble
• untangle
• untie