extricate
Americanverb (used with object)
-
extricates,
present (3rd person singular)
-
extricated,
past participle, past
-
extricating
present participle
verb
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
extricatesimple
-
extricatessimple
-
have extricatedperfect
-
has extricatedperfect
-
am extricatingprogressive
-
are extricatingprogressive
-
is extricatingprogressive
-
have been extricatingperfect progressive
-
has been extricatingperfect progressive
Past
-
extricatedsimple
-
had extricatedperfect
-
was extricatingprogressive
-
were extricatingprogressive
-
had been extricatingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of extricate
First recorded in 1605–15; from Latin extricātus (past participle of extricāre ), equivalent to ex- ex- 1 + tric(ae) “perplexities” + -ātus -ate 1
Explanation
If you need to be untangled, set free or otherwise released from something or someone, you need to be extricated. Extricate is a mixture of the prefix ex, which means "out" or "out of," and the Latin word tricae, which means "hindrances." So to extricate is to get out of what's hindering you. But it's not always so simple. You just try and extricate yourself from the loving death grip of a grandma who hasn't seen you in awhile!
Vocabulary lists containing extricate
Ender's Game
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100 SAT Words Beginning with "E"
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Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., "Beyond Vietnam" (1967)
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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.
See Examples For:
But before Sorsby ever takes a snap for the Red Raiders, he’s aiming to extricate himself from the situation altogether: by entering the supplemental draft.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 16, 2026
Meanwhile, despite these woes, I was able to extricate some March Madness picks from the collective wisdom, or otherwise, of the major AI platforms.
From MarketWatch ● Mar. 18, 2026
Rocket responded with its “Bully Shield” program, which pays penalties and court fees for any brokers who want to extricate themselves from UWM External link’s contract.
From Barron's ● Jan. 16, 2026
It took firefighters about 30 minutes to extricate the person from beneath the train.
From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 9, 2025
He would try to extricate Hermione on his own while Ron was dealing with the raining office.
From "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows" by J.K. Rowling
“The disposal of the Russian hygiene entity extricates the company from a business that cast a shadow over its first-quarter results,” the analyst said.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 24, 2026
He draws her toward him, she extricates herself and gives him a small wave, no hug in sight.
From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 3, 2023
It's the "get this" energy we want for J. Smith-Cameron's "Succession" diva Gerri once she extricates herself from Roman Roy's toxic orbit.
From Salon ● May 21, 2023
McManus throws ladders, extricates people from car crashes, breaks down doors and conducts search-and-rescue operations.
From Seattle Times ● Jan. 13, 2023
Frederic's career is a splendid example of that heroism which rises above danger, and extricates a man from difficulties when his cause is desperate.
From A Modern History, From the Time of Luther to the Fall of Napoleon For the Use of Schools and Colleges by John Lord
Hernan Gil survived nearly eight days trapped beneath the ruins of a partially collapsed building in Venezuela before being extricated Thursday in a dramatic operation involving rescuers from seven countries.
From Barron's ● Jul. 2, 2026
A massive search and rescue effort extricated one crew member but at least one additional crew member was unaccounted for.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 4, 2026
Their bodies were extricated not by trained rescuers, but by locals who used rudimentary equipment.
From BBC ● Apr. 2, 2025
He seemed to save himself two seasons ago when he extricated the Lakers from Westbrook and added key pieces that led the team to the Western Conference finals.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 26, 2024
He had just extricated one arm from his overcoat when Ted Rayburn appeared in his doorway.
From "Little Fires Everywhere" by Celeste Ng
After extricating himself from the deal, Rose went it alone until signing with McLaren.
From BBC ● Apr. 29, 2026
He lets the film pause and breathe, believably extricating Pansy from her pain for just a moment to give her a taste of what reprieve and lightness might look like.
From Salon ● Jan. 10, 2025
Zwirner would not disclose the financial terms of extricating the gallery from that project.
From New York Times ● Jul. 26, 2023
The setup at Charlotte Motor Speedway included scenario training events: extricating a driver from a chassis, fighting a fire, cutting a windshield and cutting a frame.
From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 16, 2023
The tide drift had taken him down into the kelp, and he’d wasted four hours extricating himself so as not to rip his gill-net.
From "Snow Falling on Cedars: A Novel" by David Guterson
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
