unravel
verb
un·rav·el
ˌən-ˈra-vəl 
unraveled; unraveling; unravels
1
a
: to disengage or separate the threads of : disentangle
b
: to cause to come apart by or as if by separating the threads of
2
: to resolve the intricacy, complexity, or obscurity of : clear up
unravel a mystery
: to become unraveled
Examples of unravel in a Sentence
Scientists are still unraveling the secrets of DNA.
Their plans unraveled when she lost her job.
His frequent absences from home caused his marriage to unravel.
I feel like my life is unraveling.
Recent Examples on the Web
In Prime Video's The Girlfriend, Wright, 59, plays Laura Sanderson, a gallery owner whose life begins to unravel when her son, Daniel (Laurie Davidson), brings home a new girlfriend, Cherry Laine (Olivia Cooke).
—
Brianne Tracy, PEOPLE, 5 Jan. 2026
The information also helped law enforcement unravel a case that has devastated the 13-year-old’s family and friends and the community where the soft-spoken teen, known as gentle and kind, lived.
—Laura Bauer, Kansas City Star, 3 Jan. 2026
But tensions between the factions and the two Gulf nations appear to be unraveling the coalition, threatening to throw them into outright conflict and further tear apart the Arab world’s poorest country.
—Ahmed Al-Haj, Chicago Tribune, 3 Jan. 2026
But that version quickly unraveled as families described begging police to go into the building and 911 calls emerged from students pleading for help.
—Jim Vertuno, Los Angeles Times, 3 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for unravel
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Brianne Tracy, PEOPLE, 5 Jan. 2026
The information also helped law enforcement unravel a case that has devastated the 13-year-old’s family and friends and the community where the soft-spoken teen, known as gentle and kind, lived.
—Laura Bauer, Kansas City Star, 3 Jan. 2026
But tensions between the factions and the two Gulf nations appear to be unraveling the coalition, threatening to throw them into outright conflict and further tear apart the Arab world’s poorest country.
—Ahmed Al-Haj, Chicago Tribune, 3 Jan. 2026
But that version quickly unraveled as families described begging police to go into the building and 911 calls emerged from students pleading for help.
—Jim Vertuno, Los Angeles Times, 3 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for unravel
Cite this Entry
“Unravel.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/unravel. Accessed 6 Jan. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
unravel
verb
un·rav·el
ˌən-ˈrav-əl
ˈən-
1
: to separate the threads of : disentangle
unravel a snarl
2
: solve
unravel a mystery
3
: to become unraveled
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