untangle

U1N1T1A1N1G2L1E1
US/ʌnˈtæŋ.ɡəl/

verb

To remove tangles or knots from.

“With gentle combing, untangle your hair.”

Similar
disentangleunraveltangleenmeshensnareensnarlentanglefoul
Opposite
tangle
UncommonScrabble 9
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Meanings

verbuntangle (third-person singular simple present untangles, present participle untangling, simple past and past participle untangled)

present singular third person untangles · participle present untangling · participle past untangled · past untangled

  1. transitiveTo remove tangles or knots from.

    With gentle combing, untangle your hair.

    1 more example

    Fisheries and Oceans Canada says it has successfully untangled fishing gear from a humpback whale off British Columbia's coast that was first spotted by a ferry passenger.

    2024 July 27, The Canadian Press, “Rescuers untangle gear from humpback whale off B.C.'s coast”, in CBC News, archived from the original on 15 Dec 2025

    Synonyms: disentangle, unravel, tangle, enmesh, ensnare, ensnarl, entangle, foul

  2. broadlyfigurativelytransitiveTo remove confusion or mystery from.

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

    Synonyms: demystify

Synonyms & antonyms

verbTo remove tangles or knots from.

Similar
disentangleunraveltangleenmeshensnareensnarlentanglefoulimplicateimplyinvolvematravelsnarltangle

verbTo remove confusion or mystery from.

Similar
demystify
Similar
feezetease outunsnarl
Opposite
tangle
Broader
disconnect

More synonyms by meaning

verbrelease from entanglement of difficulty

Similar
extricatedisentangledisencumber
Broader
freedisengage

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

Similar
unravelunknotunscrambleunpick
Broader
undo
Also see
absolvedisencumberdisentangleexplainextricatefeezeraveltease outuncipherunentangleunknotunpickunravelunscrambleunsnarlupsolve

Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.

Origin

From un- + tangle.

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Bulgarian оправям нещо объркано
  • оправям нещо объркано (opravjam nešto obărkano)to remove tangles or knots — see also disentangle
Catalan desembullar
  • desembullarto remove tangles or knots — see also disentangle
Czech rozmotat, rozuzlovat
  • rozmotatto remove tangles or knots — see also disentangle
  • rozuzlovatto remove tangles or knots — see also disentangle
Dutch ontwarren
  • ontwarrento remove tangles or knots — see also disentangle
French dénatter, dénouer
  • dénatterto remove tangles or knots — see also disentangle
  • dénouerto remove tangles or knots — see also disentangle
  • débrouillerto remove tangles or knots — see also disentangle
  • démêlerto remove tangles or knots — see also disentangle
German entwirren
  • entwirrento remove tangles or knots — see also disentangle
Hungarian kibogoz
  • kibogozto remove tangles or knots — see also disentangle
Italian sgrovigliare
  • sgrovigliareto remove tangles or knots — see also disentangle
Latin expediō
  • expediōto remove tangles or knots — see also disentangle
Māori ui, wete
  • uito remove tangles or knots — see also disentangle
  • weteto remove tangles or knots — see also disentangle
Polish odplatać, odpleść
  • odplataćto remove tangles or knots — see also disentangle
  • odpleśćto remove tangles or knots — see also disentangle
  • rozplątywaćto remove tangles or knots — see also disentangle
  • rozplątaćto remove tangles or knots — see also disentangle
Portuguese desembaraçar
  • desembaraçarto remove tangles or knots — see also disentangle
Spanish desenredar, desenmarañar
  • desenredarto remove tangles or knots — see also disentangle
  • desenmarañarto remove tangles or knots — see also disentangle

Rhymes & wordplay

Rhymes with untangle

angletrianglebangledangletanglestranglemanglewranglespanglejanglemangalmangelranglewanglebranglefanglequinquangletwangle
All rhymes →
Cite this entry
APA

untangle. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/untangle

MLA

“untangle.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/untangle. Accessed November 2, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “untangle,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/untangle.

Source: untangle on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.