untangle
Americanverb (used with object)
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to bring out of a tangled state; disentangle; unsnarl.
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to straighten out or clear up (anything confused or perplexing).
verb
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to free from a tangled condition
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to free from perplexity or confusion
Etymology
Origin of untangle
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.
Brundage would get up at 4 a.m. and untangle the complex international network of consumer devices making up Ipidea.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 3, 2026
There will be a lot for investors to untangle on Thursday afternoon, when FedEx announces External link its fiscal third-quarter numbers.
From Barron's • Mar. 19, 2026
Because we rely so heavily on this natural buffering capacity, scientists are keen to untangle the complex processes that control how carbon enters, moves through, and is stored in the sea.
From Science Daily • Dec. 10, 2025
Ms. Marcus, the managing editor of Liberties magazine, aims to untangle the legends, rumors and clichés swirling around the artist, and she does so with a personal touch.
From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 5, 2025
They walked back out toward the sidewalk together, Dimple feeling confused and frustrated and all manner of things she couldn’t even begin to untangle.
From "When Dimple Met Rishi" by Sandhya Menon
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.
