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Synonyms

unravel

American

[uhn-rav-uhl] / ʌnˈræv əl /

verb (used with object)

to separate or disentangle the threads of (a woven or knitted fabric, a rope, etc.).
to free from complication or difficulty; make plain or clear; solve.

to unravel a situation; to unravel a mystery.
Informal. to take apart; undo; destroy (a plan, agreement, or arrangement).

verb (used without object)

to become unraveled.

unravel British

/ ʌnˈrævəl /

verb

(tr) to reduce (something knitted or woven) to separate strands
(tr) to undo or untangle (something tangled or knotted)
(tr) to explain or solve

the mystery was unravelled
(intr) to become unravelled

"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

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

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Conjugated Forms

Present

Past

Future

Etymology

Origin of unravel

First recorded in 1595–1605; un- ² + ravel

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.

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Vocabulary lists containing unravel

Power Prefix: un-

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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.

See Examples For:

unravel unravels unraveled unravelled unraveling unravelling

Ebon Moss-Bachrach, Caitríona Balfe, Kit Connor and Fred Hechinger star as members of a struggling family that begins to unravel after the mother disappears.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 3, 2026

Once you start pulling on this thread, the whole thing starts to unravel.

From Salon ● Aug. 30, 2026

It was ultimately the death of another legendary rapper that helped unravel Tupac's shooting death.

From BBC ● Aug. 10, 2026

Writing about both Samsung and SK Hynix in a note to clients Wednesday, Gavekal Research analyst Udith Sikand said it’s premature to claim the semiconductor boom’s fundamentals are starting to unravel.

From MarketWatch ● Jul. 30, 2026

Now that the strange old man was there, the house was no longer empty, and the whole island was trying to unravel the mystery.

From "Jacob Have I Loved" by Katherine Paterson

“There is the very real risk that any deal unravels fairly quickly, as we saw with the memorandum of understanding.”

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 5, 2026

The pressure is truly on with five games remaining as the campaign unravels at a crucial juncture.

From BBC ● Apr. 18, 2026

A guy who only knows how to go for broke, and always doubles down when things go wrong, has to stick to his guns or the whole shtick unravels.

From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 13, 2026

A failed breakout of that nature, especially one that unravels quickly, would be a meaningful bearish signal.

From Barron's ● Feb. 12, 2026

He unravels a piece of the wire and runs it through his fingers.

From "Catching Fire" by Suzanne Collins

“Higher yields have unraveled some of the diversification that we saw this summer,” she added.

From MarketWatch ● Sep. 14, 2026

A decade of ambition that had initially pushed the West Coast Power Five league to the forefront of college sports had unraveled in a blizzard of criticism.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 9, 2026

The situation unraveled just as Paul was poised to make her debut as the heroine of the 22nd season of “The Bachelorette.”

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 9, 2026

WSJ’s Tomas Navia investigates how the company unraveled.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 29, 2026

And then he grins back, and I’m giddy and breathless and kind of unraveled.

From "Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda" by Becky Albertalli

But his plot unravelled again, and Potier was sentenced to 12 years behind bars.

From BBC ● Sep. 11, 2026

It was the worst attack by the Houthis since a four-year truce in Yemen's long-running civil war unravelled in July.

From Barron's ● Sep. 8, 2026

On it, smart cameras installed around his home relayed images of his house, now under clear blue skies, with the hosepipe in the yard unravelled where he left it.

From Barron's ● Jul. 27, 2026

But it all unravelled when a relative of Griffiths got wind of the sale after conveyancing paperwork was sent to their home.

From BBC ● Jul. 15, 2026

Things then unravelled, like a film of the events of the previous two decades being run backwards at high speed.

From "The Scientists" by John Gribbin

Wall Street is betting on Fed Chair Kevin Warsh to keep a manic bond market from unraveling.

From MarketWatch ● Sep. 4, 2026

But it now appears reports of the axis’ unraveling are exaggerated.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 18, 2026

Plus, Spain regains control of Ceuta after migrants overrun it, and we go inside the unraveling of Situational Awareness.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 2, 2026

WSJ delved into the unraveling of an investing powerhouse that primarily bought stocks in the AI trade.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 31, 2026

As they stood, patiently unraveling coiled tendrils, Dicey began to sing the song about the wide river and the small boat.

From "Homecoming" by Cynthia Voigt

The question many have asked around Infantino's plan is tied into a separate - but critical - aspect of the fundamental reasons behind this week unravelling.

From BBC ● Aug. 1, 2026

The actress also points to the mythological figures known as The Fates or Moirai, who appear throughout the series and become increasingly central to Zoe's emotional unravelling.

From BBC ● May 16, 2026

"No adversary should mistake our current restraint with a lack of resolve," General Dan Caine told reporters, amid fears the current US-Iranian ceasefire is unravelling.

From Barron's ● May 5, 2026

Dogged by injuries, she has made more appearances off the bench in the past three years than she has started games, with her time at City unravelling before her switch to Arsenal in January 2025.

From BBC ● Apr. 25, 2026

He reached the base of the columns and squinted up at Coach Hedge, who was precariously perched at the feet of the Athena Parthenos, unravelling ropes and knotting a ladder.

From "Blood of Olympus" by Rick Riordan

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023