unravel
verb (used with object)
to separate or disentangle the threads of (a woven or knitted fabric, a rope, etc.).
was unraveling
-
past progressiveof unravel.past progressive
Used to describe an ongoing action or continuous state that was happening at a specific time in the past.
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.
“You were my teacher,” Wang Qishan, a Chinese vice premier at the time, told then-Treasury Secretary Hank Paulson during a visit to Washington in 2008, as the American financial system was unraveling.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 23, 2026
Landrum tried to compose herself, but her meticulously prepared, low-intervention birth plan was unraveling.
From Seattle Times ● Jun. 3, 2023
That's when I felt like my life was unraveling.
From Salon ● Apr. 13, 2023
By October, Russia’s hold on Kherson was unraveling faster than anyone expected.
From New York Times ● Jan. 14, 2023
It was brown, the binding was unraveling slightly, and its etched title was barely visible.
From "Beasts of Prey" by Ayana Gray
