verb · 3 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot
Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.
Sound
Pronunciation
Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.
Received-Pronunciation:/ˈɛk.stɹɪ.keɪt/
Canada, General-American, UK:/ˈɛk.stɹɪˌkeɪt/
Canada, General-American, UK:/ˈɛk.stɹəˌkeɪt/
California:Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
Australian:/ˈek.stɹɪˌkæɪt/
Australian:/ˈek.stɹəˌkæɪt/
New-Zealand:/ˈek.stɹəˌkæɪt/
CMU ARPABET:EH1 K S T R AH0 K EY2 T
Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
1
verb
Meaning 1
To free, disengage, loosen, or untangle.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: transitive
Examples
I finally managed to extricate myself from the tight jacket.
The firefighters had to use the jaws of life to extricate Monica from the car wreck.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: unthread
Antonyms: none provided
2
verb
Meaning 2
To free from intricacies or perplexity.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: rare
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
3
verb
Meaning 3
release from entanglement of difficulty
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
Examples
I cannot extricate myself from this task
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: untangle, disentangle, disencumber
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: free, disengage
History
Etymology
Borrowed from Latin extrīcātus, past participle of extrīcō. Compare intricate.
Across languages
Translations
28 source translations are retained for this English entry.
Bulgarian:
измъквам
(izmǎkvam)
— to free, disengage, loosen or untangle
Bulgarian:
освобождавам
(osvoboždavam)
— to free, disengage, loosen or untangle
Catalan:
desempallegar
— to free, disengage, loosen or untangle
Catalan:
deslliurar
— to free, disengage, loosen or untangle
Czech:
vymanit
— to free, disengage, loosen or untangle
Dutch:
bevrijden
— to free, disengage, loosen or untangle
Dutch:
ontwarren
— to free, disengage, loosen or untangle
Dutch:
verlossen
— to free, disengage, loosen or untangle
French:
extirper
— to free, disengage, loosen or untangle
German:
befreien
— to free, disengage, loosen or untangle
Hungarian:
kiszabadít
— to free, disengage, loosen or untangle
Hungarian:
kibogoz
— to free, disengage, loosen or untangle
Hungarian:
kihúz
— to free, disengage, loosen or untangle
Hungarian:
kivág
— to free, disengage, loosen or untangle
Icelandic:
losa
— to free, disengage, loosen or untangle
Icelandic:
leysa
— to free, disengage, loosen or untangle
Irish:
fuascail
— to free, disengage, loosen or untangle
Korean:
탈출(脫出)시키다
(talchulsikida)
— to free, disengage, loosen or untangle
Latin:
extrīcō
— to free, disengage, loosen or untangle
Latin:
expediō
— to free, disengage, loosen or untangle
Polish:
wyswobadzać
— to free, disengage, loosen or untangle
Polish:
wyswabadzać
— to free, disengage, loosen or untangle
Polish:
wyswobodzić
— to free, disengage, loosen or untangle
Russian:
освобожда́ть
(osvoboždátʹ)
— to free, disengage, loosen or untangle
Scottish Gaelic:
fuasgail
— to free, disengage, loosen or untangle
Scottish Gaelic:
saor
— to free, disengage, loosen or untangle
Spanish:
librar
— to free, disengage, loosen or untangle
Spanish:
sacar
— to free, disengage, loosen or untangle
