Unravel vs Untangle - What's the difference?
unravel | untangle |
to separate the threads (of); disentangle
to become undone; to collapse
* 2010 , Ian Cowie,
*: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.
(figurative) To clear from complication or difficulty; to unfold; to solve.
(figurative) To separate the connected or united parts of; to throw into disorder; to confuse.
* Dryden
To remove tangles or knots.
(by extension) To remove confusion or mystery.
As verbs the difference between unravel and untangle
is that unravel is to separate the threads (of); disentangle while untangle is to remove tangles or knots.unravel
English
Verb
- 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.
"State pension Ponzi scheme unravels with retirement at 70", The Telegraph , June 24th, 2010,
- New Ponzi Scheme Unravels !
- to unravel a plot
- to unravel a mystery
- to unravel the confusion
- 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 * disentangleDerived terms
* unravellingAnagrams
* English ergative verbsuntangle
English
Verb
(untangl)- With gentle combing, untangle your hair.
- It took awhile, but he finally untangled the problem.
