unraveling

verb

present participle of unravel
1
as in fraying
to separate the various strands of it took us forever to unravel the jumbled mass of Christmas tree lights

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in solving
to find an answer for through reasoning unraveled the mystery

Synonyms & Similar Words

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of unraveling Metalpoint is delicate by comparison with ink, almost weblike; but in both cases, the drawings are unraveling clusters and skeins, with passages both tight and loose. — Jeffrey Weiss, Artforum, 1 Sep. 2026 In spite of Desiree's civil case unraveling in 2013, public suspicion continued to follow Terri. — Eileen Murphy, ABC News, 31 Aug. 2026 Terrill pointed to the purchase of the Grass Campus as the pivotal decision in the federation’s unraveling. — Grace Gilson, Sun Sentinel, 24 Aug. 2026 Even so, Sepahvand, now director at Daric Investment Group, said Iran's economy is indeed deteriorating under the weight of mounting sanctions — but far from unraveling. — Anniek Bao, CNBC, 20 Aug. 2026 Now researchers are using advanced imaging technology to look at the narwhal’s tusk in unprecedented detail—studying it in the hope of unraveling some of its mysteries. — Jackie Flynn Mogensen, Scientific American, 18 Aug. 2026 Alex Cooper seems intent on unraveling some of the current relationships that have helped underpin her production company, Unwell. — Brian Steinberg, Variety, 16 Aug. 2026 There must be aspirational elements, typically wealthy characters wearing Brunello Cucinelli while emotionally unraveling in Nancy Meyers-worthy kitchens. — Mikey O'Connell, HollywoodReporter, 13 Aug. 2026 Hal, a veteran of the Green Lantern Corps, begrudgingly mentors his new replacement while unraveling an alien mystery in rural Nebraska. — Nick Romano, Entertainment Weekly, 12 Aug. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for unraveling
  1. fraying
  2. solving
  3. disentangling
  4. answering
  5. untwisting
  6. resolving
  7. undoing
  8. untangling
Verb
  • Amid competing global crises and shifting donor priorities, that safety net is fraying.
    — Lorcan Lovett, NPR, 25 Aug. 2026
  • To help prevent the fabric around the drawstring hole from fraying, paint a rectangle and snip an opening in the channel as described below.
    — Jodi Levine, Parents, 21 Aug. 2026
Definition of fraying
Verb
  • OpenAI says the model has already contributed to solving difficult, long-standing mathematical problems.
    — Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 3 Sep. 2026
  • In 1966, the federal government commissioned a massive survey aimed at solving educational inequality.
    — Rund Abdelfatah, NPR, 3 Sep. 2026
Definition of solving
Verb
  • Cutting Iran off completely from the UAE could deal a serious blow to the Islamic Republic’s economy — but experts say disentangling the pair’s commercial ties could prove difficult.
    — semafor.com, semafor.com, 20 Aug. 2026
  • New characters and backstory details are dropped in before existing loose ends are tied up, resulting in unclear motivations and convoluted layers of subplot that, ultimately, do not prove relevant enough to have been worth disentangling.
    — Jared Kaufman, Twin Cities, 9 Aug. 2026
Definition of disentangling
Verb
  • If Wayne, a fictional character, were a more solid creation, the movie could better explore the issue of whether answering racist brutality in kind is more effective than relying on an inadequate system.
    — Alison Willmore, Vulture, 4 Sep. 2026
  • The device sits on the skin like a band-aid and can collect up to 10 times the sweat from low-intensity activities such as walking or answering emails, compared with other wearable sweat sensors.
    — Hanna Wickes, Charlotte Observer, 2 Sep. 2026
Definition of answering
Verb
  • In a feat of precision physics, researchers from Cornell and Stanford Universities have filmed atoms twisting and untwisting in perfect sync, a choreography that unfolds in just a trillionth of a second.
    — Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 12 Nov. 2025
Definition of untwisting
Verb
  • Politicians, naturally, have stepped in without resolving anything yet.
    — Matt Baker, New York Times, 4 Sep. 2026
  • After resolving a bruising carriage standoff with Disney in 2023, the company has been able to strike unique agreements with programmers using that agreement as a template.
    — Dade Hayes, Deadline, 2 Sep. 2026
Definition of resolving
Verb
  • The appellate panel voiced serious doubts about undoing the consent decree at oral arguments in June.
    — Sonja Sharp, Los Angeles Times, 19 Aug. 2026
  • That jar of retinol on your nightstand only works if the rest of your evening habits are not undoing it.
    — Samantha Agate, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 17 Aug. 2026
Definition of undoing
Verb
  • To try Cruz’s favorite technique yourself, start by untangling the cables in your desk drawer.
    — The Spruce, The Spruce, 20 Aug. 2026
  • Japan, meanwhile, has spent the past several years untangling another mess.
    — Daniel Cassady, ARTnews.com, 19 Aug. 2026
Definition of untangling

Browse Nearby Words

unraveled
unraveling
unravels
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Cite this Entry

“Unraveling.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/unraveling. Accessed 7 Sep. 2026.

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