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Unravel vs Separate - What's the difference?

unravel | separate |

In intransitive terms the difference between unravel and separate

is that unravel is to become undone; to collapse while separate is to divide itself into separate pieces or substances.

As verbs the difference between unravel and separate

is that unravel is to separate the threads (of); disentangle while separate is to divide (a thing) into separate parts.

As an adjective separate is

apart from (the rest); not connected to or attached to (anything else).

As a noun separate is

anything that is sold by itself, especially an article of clothing.

unravel

English

Verb

  • to separate the threads (of); disentangle
  • Stop playing with the seam of the tablecloth! You will unravel it.
    Mother couldn't unravel the ball of wool after the cat had played with it.
  • to become undone; to collapse
  • * 2010 , Ian Cowie, "State pension Ponzi scheme unravels with retirement at 70", The Telegraph , June 24th, 2010,
  • *:The great Ponzi scheme that lies behind our State pension is unravelling – as they all do eventually – because money being taken from new investors is insufficient to honour promises issued to earlier generations.
  • New Ponzi Scheme Unravels !
  • (figurative) To clear from complication or difficulty; to unfold; to solve.
  • to unravel a plot
    to unravel a mystery
    to unravel the confusion
  • (figurative) To separate the connected or united parts of; to throw into disorder; to confuse.
  • * Dryden
  • Art shall be conjured for it, and nature all unravelled .
    ''to unravel the global compromise achieved in the Constitutional Treaty
    ''to unravel the broad consensus which was created

    Usage notes

    unraveling and unraveled are primarily US while unravelling and unravelled are primarily UK.

    Synonyms

    * unriddle * solve * unsnarl * disentangle

    Derived terms

    * unravelling

    separate

    English

    Adjective

    (-)
  • Apart from (the rest); not connected to or attached to (anything else).
  • This chair can be disassembled into five separate pieces.
  • Not together (with); not united (to).
  • I try to keep my personal life separate from work.

    Verb

    (separat)
  • To divide (a thing) into separate parts.
  • To disunite something from one thing; To disconnect.
  • * Dryden
  • From the fine gold I separate the alloy.
  • * Bible, Romans viii. 35
  • Who shall separate us from the love of Christ?
  • To cause (things or people) to be separate.
  • * {{quote-magazine, date=2013-06-07, author=David Simpson
  • , volume=188, issue=26, page=36, magazine=(The Guardian Weekly) , title= Fantasy of navigation , passage=It is tempting to speculate about the incentives or compulsions that might explain why anyone would take to the skies in [the] basket [of a balloon]: […];  […]; or perhaps to muse on the irrelevance of the borders that separate nation states and keep people from understanding their shared environment.}}
  • To divide itself into separate pieces or substances.
  • (obsolete) To set apart; to select from among others, as for a special use or service.
  • * Bible, Acts xiii. 2
  • Separate me Barnabas and Saul for the work whereunto I have called them.

    Derived terms

    * separable * separately * separation * separational * separationism * separationist

    Antonyms

    * annex * combine

    See also

    * disunite * disconnect * divide * split * reduce * subtract

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • (usually, in the plural) Anything that is sold by itself, especially an article of clothing.
  • Usage notes

    * The spelling is (separate). *(term) is a common misspelling.