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View synonyms for

unravel

[ uhn-rav-uhl ]

verb (used with object)

unraveled, unraveling or (especially British) unravelled, unravelling.
  1. to separate or disentangle the threads of (a woven or knitted fabric, a rope, etc.).
  2. to free from complication or difficulty; make plain or clear; solve:

    to unravel a situation; to unravel a mystery.

  3. Informal. to take apart; undo; destroy (a plan, agreement, or arrangement).


verb (used without object)

unraveled, unraveling or (especially British) unravelled, unravelling.
  1. to become unraveled.

unravel

/ ʌˈæə /

verb

  1. tr to reduce (something knitted or woven) to separate strands
  2. tr to undo or untangle (something tangled or knotted)
  3. tr to explain or solve

    the mystery was unravelled

  4. intr to become unravelled
“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
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Derived Forms

  • ܲˈ, noun
  • ܲˈԳ, noun
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Other Word Forms

  • ܲ·ı· especially British, ܲ·ı· noun
  • ܲ·ı·Գ noun
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Word History and Origins

Origin of unravel1

First recorded in 1595–1605; un- 2 + ravel
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Example Sentences

Examples have not been reviewed.

When you're overwhelmed, a $12 dress can feel like a luxury, even if it unravels and literally falls apart at the seams.

From

Mr Taylor said it showed prisons were "fragile places" and "when things start to go wrong... they start to unravel quickly", which had been reflected at Parc.

From

Over the next five to ten years, I think it’s inevitable that economic interdependence will progressively unravel.

From

“It is simply more than I can grasp. … All the issues I have fought for over the years, marched for, organized for — to bring about the good changes in our society — are now being unraveled.”

From

"Over the course of the show, it all unravels and everyone ends up being themselves instead of conforming to these societal norms."

From

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