Word.ws English Dictionary

Synonyms of unravel

25 similar words · 1 opposite word

Another word for unravel is untangle. Other synonyms of unravel are disentangle, ravel and unsnarl. The opposite of unravel is ravel.

Synonyms and similar words for unravel

verbTo cause (something) to no longer be ravelled or tangled; to disentangle, to untangle.

  • unsnarlTo remove or undo a snarl or tangle.
  • disentangleTo free something from entanglement; to extricate or unknot.
  • feeze ScotlandTo untwist; to unravel, as the end of a thread or rope.
  • tease outTo unravel; (figuratively, by extension) to determine; solve.
  • untangleTo remove tangles or knots from.

verbTo separate the threads of (something knitted or woven, such as clothing or fabric).

  • ravelTo entwine or tangle (something) confusedly; to entangle.

verbTo clear (something) from complication or difficulty; to investigate and solve (a mystery, a...

  • unpuzzleTo solve (a puzzle); to work out.
  • unriddleTo solve (a perplexing problem).
  • straighten out
  • decipherTo find a solution to a problem.
  • get to the bottom ofTo come to understand, discover the truth about, or solve.
  • iron outTo resolve (a dispute); to solve (a problem).
  • meliorateTo make better; to improve; to solve a problem.
  • puzzle outTo figure out; to discover or find a solution to.
  • reason outTo solve or determine by reasoning.
  • resolveTo find a solution to (a problem).
  • riddleTo solve, answer, or explicate a riddle or question.
  • sleuthTo act as a detective; to try to discover who committed a crime, or, more generally, to solve a mystery.
  • solve
  • think outTo devise or solve by a process of thought.
  • upsolveTo solve; explain.
  • work outTo resolve; to find a solution for.
  • absolve obsoleteTo resolve; to explain; to solve.
  • unsolve obsoleteTo solve.

verbOf threads: to become separated from something knitted or woven, such as clothing or fabric; also...

Opposite of unravel

verbTo cause (something) to no longer be ravelled or tangled; to disentangle, to untangle.

  • ravelTo entwine or tangle (something) confusedly; to entangle.

Meaning of unravel

  1. verb To cause (something) to no longer be ravelled or tangled; to disentangle, to untangle.
  2. verb To separate the threads of (something knitted or woven, such as clothing or fabric).
  3. verb To separate the connected or united parts of (something); to throw (something) into disorder; to confound, to confuse, to disintegrate.

Full definition of unravel

unravel in other languages

Questions about synonyms of unravel

What is another word for unravel?
Unravel has 25 synonyms on Word.ws, such as untangle, disentangle, ravel and unsnarl.
What is the opposite of unravel?
The opposite of unravel is ravel.
What does unravel mean?
Unravel means to cause (something) to no longer be ravelled or tangled; to disentangle, to untangle.

Source and license

Adapted from Wiktionary: unravel (page history and authors) and the entries of the words listed. Text available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 license. Word.ws grouped the synonyms and antonyms by meaning and added links. Wiktionary data of 2026-09-02.

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Cite this page: “Synonyms of unravel.” Word.ws, https://word.ws/synonyms/unravel. Based on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.