unravel

[ uhn-rav-uhl ]

verb (used with object)

, un·rav·eled, un·rav·el·ing or (especially British) un·rav·elled, un·rav·el·ling.

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)

, un·rav·eled, un·rav·el·ing or (especially British) un·rav·elled, un·rav·el·ling.

1. to become unraveled.

unravel

/ ʌnˈrævəl /

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

Derived Forms

• unˈraveller, noun
• unˈravelment, noun

Other Words From

• un·ravel·er especially British, un·ravel·ler noun
• un·ravel·ment noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of unravel¹

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

Example Sentences

One Tory source, not close to the leadership, told me: “Kemi just doesn’t like Rob. She thinks his whole schtick about her and whether she has any policies has done her lasting damage with the Right and with Reform voters. This is only likely to further unravel.”

From BBC

In the first series of The Gift, Jenny Kleeman looked at the extraordinary truths that can unravel when people take at-home DNA tests like Ancestry and 23andMe.

From BBC

North Korean troops on a Ukrainian battlefield would only further unravel Beijing’s plans.

From BBC

Her empire began to unravel in 2004, when she was convicted of obstruction of justice charges in a heavily publicized trial — dubbed a “b— hunt” — that seemed to be as much about her personality as the criminal code.

From Los Angeles Times

I joined BBC Scotland's The Social and paranormal investigators trying to unravel the mystery.

From BBC

Related Words

• decipher
• resolve
• solve
• undo
• untangle