Standard Lemma guide

untangle

verb · 4 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.

  • General-American: /ʌnˈtæŋ.ɡəl/
  • US: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • rhymes with -æŋɡəl
  • CMU ARPABET: AH0 N T AE1 NG G AH0 L Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

verb

Meaning 1

To remove tangles or knots from.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: transitive

Examples

  • With gentle combing, untangle your hair.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: disentangle, unravel, tangle, enmesh, ensnare, ensnarl, entangle, foul, implicate, imply, involve, mat, ravel, snarl

Antonyms: none provided

2

verb

Meaning 2

To remove confusion or mystery from.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: broadly, figuratively, transitive

Examples

  • It took a while, but he finally untangled the problem.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: demystify

Antonyms: none provided

3

verb

Meaning 3

become or cause to become undone by separating the fibers or threads of

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • unravel the thread

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: unravel, unknot, unscramble, unpick

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: undo

4

verb

Meaning 4

release from entanglement of difficulty

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • I cannot extricate myself from this task

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: extricate, disentangle, disencumber

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: free, disengage

History

Etymology

From un- + tangle.

Across languages

Translations

24 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Bulgarian: оправям нещо объркано (opravjam nešto obǎrkano) — to remove tangles or knots — see also disentangle
  • Catalan: desembullar — to remove tangles or knots — see also disentangle
  • Czech: rozmotat — to remove tangles or knots — see also disentangle
  • Czech: rozuzlovat — to remove tangles or knots — see also disentangle
  • Dutch: ontwarren — to remove tangles or knots — see also disentangle
  • French: dénatter — to remove tangles or knots — see also disentangle
  • French: dénouer — to remove tangles or knots — see also disentangle
  • French: débrouiller — to remove tangles or knots — see also disentangle
  • French: démêler — to remove tangles or knots — see also disentangle
  • Galician: escarpear — to remove tangles or knots — see also disentangle
  • German: entwirren — to remove tangles or knots — see also disentangle
  • Hungarian: kibogoz — to remove tangles or knots — see also disentangle
  • Italian: sgrovigliare — to remove tangles or knots — see also disentangle
  • Latin: expediō — to remove tangles or knots — see also disentangle
  • Māori: ui — to remove tangles or knots — see also disentangle
  • Māori: wete — to remove tangles or knots — see also disentangle
  • Oromo: hiikuu — to remove tangles or knots — see also disentangle
  • Polish: odplatać — to remove tangles or knots — see also disentangle
  • Polish: odpleść — to remove tangles or knots — see also disentangle
  • Polish: rozplątywać — to remove tangles or knots — see also disentangle
  • Polish: rozplątać — to remove tangles or knots — see also disentangle
  • Portuguese: desembaraçar — to remove tangles or knots — see also disentangle
  • Spanish: desenredar — to remove tangles or knots — see also disentangle
  • Spanish: desenmarañar — to remove tangles or knots — see also disentangle