Synonyms

unsnarl

American

[uhn-snahrl] / ʌnˈsnɑrl /

verb (used with object)

to bring out of a snarled condition; disentangle.

unsnarl British

/ ʌnˈsnɑːl /

verb

(tr) to free from a snarl or tangle

"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

Etymology

Origin of unsnarl

First recorded in 1545–55; un- ² + snarl ²

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.

When, in Season 3, Storer and his writers opted to slow things down a bit, to pull each character aside and unsnarl the welter of emotions that fueled the Bear’s kitchen, some viewers were disappointed.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 27, 2025

Why another lane isn’t going to unsnarl the traffic.

From Slate • Sep. 29, 2024

It has also tried to increase competition in industries like meat-packing, partnered with retailers to unsnarl supply chains at ports and railways, and released oil from strategic reserves to try to push down prices.

From Reuters • May 16, 2022

At a highly anticipated news conference Wednesday, Powell said the Fed was sticking by its bedrock economic forecast: COVID-19 will eventually fade, which, in turn, will enable supply chain bottlenecks to unsnarl.

From Seattle Times • Nov. 3, 2021

I’ll pretend, thought Lyddie, as she tried to unsnarl her brain over the steaming cup, I’ll pretend I was crazy from the fever and didn’t know what I was doing—can’t even remember what I did.

From "Lyddie" by Katherine Paterson

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