untie
Americanverb (used with object)
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to loose or unfasten (anything tied); let or set loose by undoing a knot.
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to undo the string or cords of.
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to undo, as a cord or a knot; unknot.
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to free from restraint.
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to resolve, as perplexities.
verb (used without object)
verb
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to unfasten or free (a knot or something that is tied) or (of a knot or something that is tied) to become unfastened
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(tr) to free from constraint or restriction
Etymology
Origin of untie
before 1000; Middle English untyen, Old English untīegan. See un- 2, tie
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.
"These cuts and reductions untie perpetrators' hands everywhere, leaving them to do whatever they please. With crises mounting, we cannot afford a human rights system in crisis," he added.
From Barron's • Feb. 5, 2026
As a gesture of true camaraderie, they grin and untie their own blue pañuelos and tie these kerchiefs around our necks.
From Salon • Nov. 8, 2025
Acquaintances swore they saw him untie his shoelaces before meeting with a potential donor.
From Los Angeles Times • Nov. 7, 2025
TSA has often been a crapshoot, risking pileups as travelers pulled laptops from carry-ons and novice vacationers struggled to untie their sneakers.
From The Wall Street Journal • Oct. 7, 2025
"What on earth are you up to, Mosca? Is that your idea of keeping watch? Who said you could untie him?"
From "The Thief Lord" by Cornelia Funke
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.
