untie

[ uhn-tahy ]

/ ʌnˈtaɪ /

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR untie ON THESAURUS.COM

verb (used with object), un·tied, un·ty·ing.

to loose or unfasten (anything tied); let or set loose by undoing a knot.

to undo the string or cords of.

to undo, as a cord or a knot; unknot.

to free from restraint.

to resolve, as perplexities.

verb (used without object), un·tied, un·ty·ing.

to become untied.

Nearby words

unthought-of, unthread, unthrifty, unthrone, untidy, untie, until, untimely, untimeous, untinged, untiring

Origin of untie

before 1000; Middle English untyen, Old English untīegan. See un-², tie

Can be confusedunite untie

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for untie

“I bent over to untie my shoelaces, and I felt an agent pouring cold water on me,” said Adonys, who has filed an asylum request.
Immigrants Held in Border Deep Freezers|Rachael Bale, The Center for Investigative Reporting|November 19, 2013|DAILY BEAST
Untie my hands, brave warrior, you have surely nothing to fear from a woman.
The Defiant Agents|Andre Alice Norton
Mrs. Priest nodded graciously to Thea, coquettishly to Bowers, and asked him to untie her veil for her.
Song of the Lark|Willa Cather
I didn't see, myself, how Fitz could untie those hard knots with his one hand, in time to do any good.
Pluck on the Long Trail|Edwin L. Sabin

He stumbled to the sail; but his fingers were all thumbs, and he could not untie the halyard.
Down The River|Oliver Optic
There will be no vulgar outcry when you untie the knot of woe.
The Art of Disappearing|John Talbot Smith

British Dictionary definitions for untie

untie

/ (ʌnˈtaɪ) /

verb -ties, -tying or -tied

to unfasten or free (a knot or something that is tied) or (of a knot or something that is tied) to become unfastened

(tr) to free from constraint or restriction

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

Word Origin and History for untie

untie

Old English untiegan, from un- (2) + tie (v.). Related: Untied; untying.

untie

verb (used with object), un·tied, un·ty·ing.

verb (used without object), un·tied, un·ty·ing.

RELATED WORDS

Nearby words

Origin of untie

Examples from the Web for untie

British Dictionary definitions for untie

untie

verb -ties, -tying or -tied

Word Origin and History for untie

untie