Synonyms for unravel
Most common
explain solve re-solve decipher untangle disentangle come undone ravel out
Synonyms by meaning
Verb
1. Solve — to clear (something) from complication or difficulty; to investigate and solve (a mystery, a problem, etc.)…
solve, decipher, explain, re-solve, unfold, interpret, riddle, puzzle out, work out, clear up, spell out, root out, straighten out, unriddle, unpuzzle, elucidate, expound formal, uncipher dated
2. Untangle — to cause (something) to no longer be ravelled or tangled; to disentangle, to untangle
untangle, disentangle, unpick, extricate, undo, unscramble, untwist, unknot, unsnarl
Other
Definitions
- v. 1
To cause (something) to no longer be ravelled or tangled; to disentangle, to untangle.
Mother couldn’t unravel the ball of wool after the cat had played with it.
- v. 2
To clear (something) from complication or difficulty; to investigate and solve (a mystery, a problem, etc.); to disentangle, to unfold, to work out.
to unravel the confusion to unravel a plot
Related words
- Word family
- unraveler unravelling
Forms
- Past participle
- unraveled
e.g. unraveled → solved, deciphered, explained, re-solved…
Example sentences
- explain Explain to him the difficult situation you are in.
- solve I found it difficult to solve the problem at once.
- decipher Investigators are trying to decipher what happened.
- untangle It took Tom ages to untangle his fishing line.
- disentangle I'm not sure what's the best way to disentangle this.
By length
- 3 letters
- run1
- 4 letters
- undo2
- 5 letters
- solve1
- 6 letters
- unfold2, riddle2, unpick, unknot, unspin
- 7 letters
- explain2, expound2, untwist, unsnarl
- 8 letters
- decipher3, untangle3, unriddle, unpuzzle, uncipher, unfathom
- 9 letters
- interpret3, elucidate4, extricate3
- 10 letters
- unscramble3
- 11 letters
- disentangle4
The small number after each word is its number of syllables (undo2 = 2 syllables).