Word
unravel
Phoneticsun·rav·el, stress on the second syllable
US/ənˈɹævəɫ/
UK/ʌnɹˈævəl/
US spelling · unraveling
Definition
v. to separate threads that are twisted together or to undo something that is knitted.
v. to disentangle or separate the threads of a woven, knitted, or tangled fabric.
Examples
“The edges of the old blanket began to unravel.”
“The detective spent months trying to unravel the mystery of the missing documents.”
“As the central bank raised interest rates unexpectedly, the carefully constructed economic recovery began to unravel, leading to widespread market panic.”
Examples
simple
“The edges of the old blanket began to unravel.”
contextual
“The detective spent months trying to unravel the mystery of the missing documents.”
complex
“As the central bank raised interest rates unexpectedly, the carefully constructed economic recovery began to unravel, leading to widespread market panic.”
Usage
Can be used both transitively (to unravel a knot) and intransitively (the plan unraveled).
Pitfall
The mystery was unraveled by the police.
The mystery was unravelled by the police.
In British English, the final 'l' is doubled when adding suffixes like -ed or -ing, whereas American English uses a single 'l'.
Real-World Examples
“It's a family's herd with nothing to eat, a market with fewer animals to sell, a community's food security unravelling in real time.” “Deborah Levy’s Hot Milk , adapted as a film last year by Rebecca Lenkiewicz, chronicles a family unravelling in a Spanish fishing village.” Etymology
PIE word *h₂énti From un- (suffix denoting the inverse of the specified action) + ravel. cognates * Dutch ontrafelen (“to unravel”)
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Synonyms
Antonyms
- Exam level
- CambridgeCambridgeCambridge English QualificationsThe exam suite from Cambridge University Press & Assessment, from A1 Movers up to C2 Proficiency. The benchmark names double as CEFR labels.C1 AdvancedIELTSIELTSInternational English Language Testing SystemThe 0–9 band test co-owned by the British Council, IDP, and Cambridge. Used for university entry, work, and migration.7.0–8.0TOEFL iBTTOEFL iBTTest of English as a Foreign Language, Internet-Based TestETS's academic English test, the standard route for US university admissions. Scored 0–120, with a 1–6 scale since 2026.1–6 scale: 5.0–5.595–113TOEICTOEICTest of English for International CommunicationETS's workplace English test, big in Japan and Korea. Listening & Reading scores 10–990 and tops out at C1.945–990
- Frequency
- Occasional
- Level
- C1 · Advanced
- Updated
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englishreference.com/q/unravel