Word forms: 3rd person singular presenttense unravels, present participle unravelling, past tense, past participle unravelledregional note: in AM, use unraveling, unraveled
1. verb
If something such as a plan or system unravels, it breaks up or begins to fail.
His government began to unravel because of a banking scandal. [VERB]
My perfect life had unraveled in the past six months. [VERB]
2. verb
If you unravel something that is knotted, woven, or knitted, or if it unravels, it becomes one straight piece again or separates into its different threads.
He could unravel a knot that others wouldn't even attempt. [VERB noun]
The stairway carpet is so frayed it threatens to unravel. [VERB]
Synonyms: undo, separate, disentangle, free More Synonyms of unravel
3. verb
If you unravel a mystery or puzzle, or if it unravels, it gradually becomes clearer and you can work out the answer to it.
A young mother has flown to Iceland to unravel the mystery of her friend's disappearance. [VERB noun]
Gradually, with an intelligent use of flashbacks, Yves' story unravels. [VERB]
Synonyms: solve, explain, work out, resolve More Synonyms of unravel
More Synonyms of unravel
unravel in British English
(ʌnˈrævəl)
verbWord forms: -els, -elling, -elledWord forms: US-els, -eling or -eled
1. (transitive)
to reduce (something knitted or woven) to separate strands
2. (transitive)
to undo or untangle (something tangled or knotted)
3. (transitive)
to explain or solve
the mystery was unravelled
4. (intransitive)
to become unravelled
Derived forms
unraveller (unˈraveller)
noun
unravelment (unˈravelment)
noun
unravel in American English
(ʌnˈrævəl)
verb transitiveWord forms: unˈraveled or unˈravelled, unˈraveling or unˈravelling
1.
to undo (something woven or tangled); untangle or separate the threads of
2.
to make clear of confusion or involvement; solve
verb intransitive
3.
to become unraveled
Derived forms
unravelment (unˈravelment)
noun
Examples of 'unravel' in a sentence
unravel
He's not insincere, just mixed up, and I don't know how to unravel him.
Howatch, Susan ABSOLUTE TRUTHS (2002)
`Go on then,' I challenged, convinced I could unravel any theory his twisted mind could come up with.
Val McDermid KICK BACK (2002)
Now, as his service reached its climax, it was all beginning to unravel.
Dobbs, Michael WALL GAMES (2002)
Chinese translation of 'unravel'
unravel
(ʌnˈrævl)
vt
[string, wool]解开(開) (jiěkāi)
[mystery, truth]弄清 (nòngqīng)
vi
[mystery, puzzle]变明朗 (biàn mínglǎng)
Nearby words of
unravel
unprotected
unprotected sex
unqualified
unravel
unreal
unrealistic
unreasonable
1 (verb)
When she returned to America, the marriage unravelled.
Synonyms
break up
fail
So far this year, 104 banks have failed.
collapse
His business empire collapsed under a massive burden of debt.
go wrong
Nearly everything that could go wrong has gone wrong.
fall apart
The work was never finished and bit by bit the building fell apart.
come apart (at the seams)
2 (verb)
Definition
to explain or solve
He wanted to unravel the mystery of his colleague's disappearance.
Synonyms
solve
Their domestic reforms did nothing to solve unemployment.
explain
He explained the process to us in simple terms.
work out
resolve
We must find a way to resolve these problems.
interpret
The pictures are often difficult to interpret.
figure out (informal)
make out
clear up
suss (out) (slang)
get to the bottom of
get straight
puzzle out
3 (verb)
Definition
to separate something knitted or woven into individual strands
He could unravel knots that others could not even attempt.
Synonyms
undo
I managed to undo a corner of the parcel.
separate
Police moved in to separate the two groups.
disentangle
The rope could not be disentangled and had to be cut.
free
It took firefighters two hours to free us.
unwind
One of them unwound a length of rope from around his waist.
extricate
Emergency workers tried to extricate the survivors from the wreckage.
straighten out
untangle
trying to untangle several reels of film
unknot
Additional synonyms
in the sense of collapse
Definition
to fail completely
His business empire collapsed under a massive burden of debt.
Synonyms
fail,
fold,
founder,
break down,
fall through,
come to nothing,
go belly-up (informal)
in the sense of disentangle
Definition
to release from entanglement or confusion
The rope could not be disentangled and had to be cut.
Synonyms
untangle,
unravel,
untwist,
unsnarl
in the sense of explain
Definition
to make something easily understandable, esp. by giving a clear and detailed account of it
He explained the process to us in simple terms.
Synonyms
make clear or plain,
describe,
demonstrate,
illustrate,
teach,
define,
solve,
resolve,
interpret,
disclose,
unfold,
clarify,
clear up,
simplify,
expound,
elucidate,
put into words,
throw light on,
explicate (formal),
give the details of
Nearby words of
unravel
unprotected
unqualified
unquestionable
unravel
unreadable
unreal
unrealistic
Synonyms of 'unravel'
unravel
Explore 'unravel' in the dictionary
Additional synonyms
in the sense of extricate
Definition
to free from a difficult or complicated situation or place
Emergency workers tried to extricate the survivors from the wreckage.
Synonyms
free,
clear,
release,
remove,
rescue,
get out,
disengage,
disentangle
in the sense of fail
Definition
to go bankrupt
So far this year, 104 banks have failed.
Synonyms
go bankrupt,
crash,
collapse,
fold (informal),
close down,
go under,
go bust (informal),
go out of business,
be wound up,
go broke (informal),
go to the wall,
go into receivership,
go into liquidation,
become insolvent,
smash
in the sense of fall apart
Definition
to break owing to long use or poor construction
The work was never finished and bit by bit the building fell apart.
Synonyms
break up,
crumble,
disintegrate,
fall to bits,
go to seed,
come apart at the seams,
break into pieces,
go or come to pieces,
shatter
in the sense of free
Definition
to remove obstructions or impediments from
It took firefighters two hours to free us.
Synonyms
disentangle,
extricate,
disengage,
detach,
separate,
loose,
unfold,
unravel,
disconnect,
untangle,
untwist,
unsnarl
in the sense of go wrong
Definition
to turn out badly or not as intended
Nearly everything that could go wrong has gone wrong.
Synonyms
fail,
flop (informal),
fall through,
come to nothing,
miscarry,
misfire,
come to grief (informal),
go pear-shaped (informal)
in the sense of interpret
The pictures are often difficult to interpret.
Synonyms
understand,
read,
explain,
crack,
solve,
figure out (informal),
comprehend,
decode,
deduce,
decipher,
suss out (slang)
in the sense of resolve
Definition
to find the answer or solution to
We must find a way to resolve these problems.
Synonyms
work out,
answer,
solve,
find the solution to,
clear up,
crack,
fathom,
suss (out) (slang),
elucidate
in the sense of separate
Definition
to act as a barrier between
Police moved in to separate the two groups.
Synonyms
divide,
detach,
disconnect,
come between,
disentangle,
keep apart,
move apart,
disjoin
in the sense of untangle
Definition
to free from tangles or confusion
trying to untangle several reels of film
Synonyms
disentangle,
unravel,
sort out,
extricate,
straighten out,
untwist,
unsnarl
in the sense of unwind
Definition
to slacken, undo, or unravel
One of them unwound a length of rope from around his waist.