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Unravel vs Unwind - What's the difference?

unravel | unwind |

In intransitive terms the difference between unravel and unwind

is that unravel is to become undone; to collapse while unwind is to be or become unwound; to be capable of being unwound or untwisted.

As verbs the difference between unravel and unwind

is that unravel is to separate the threads (of); disentangle while unwind is to wind off; to loose or separate; to untwist; to untwine; as, to unwind thread, to unwind a ball of yarn.

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

    Anagrams

    * English ergative verbs

    unwind

    English

    Verb

  • To wind off; to loose or separate; to untwist; to untwine; as, to unwind thread, to unwind a ball of yarn
    • Could you unwind about a foot of ribbon so I can finish the package?
  • (obsolete) To disentangle
  • * 1836 , , The Works of Richard Hooker , Volume 4, page 27:
    • ... but being not so skilful as in every point to unwind themselves where the snares of glossing speech do lie to entangle them, ...
  • (slang) To relax; to chill out; as, to rest and relieve of stress
    • After work, I like to unwind by smoking a pipe while reading the paper.
  • To be or become unwound; to be capable of being unwound or untwisted.

    • Related terms

    * wind