disentangle Hear it!

disentangle Definition

dis·en·tan·gle (dis′in taŋ′gəl)

transitive verb disentangled -·gled, disentangling -·gling

  1. to free from something that entangles, confuses, etc.; extricate; disengage
  2. to straighten out (anything tangled, confused, etc.); unravel; untangle

intransitive verb

to get free from a tangle

Related Forms:

disentangle Synonyms

disentangle

v.

disengage, untangle, untwist; see free 1, unhitch.

disentangle Usage Examples

Object

  • thread: The concern of the essays in Featherstone's volume is to disentangle the various threads that such questions invariably conflate.
  • effect: It was difficult to disentangle the effects of teaching.
  • meaning: There's no point drafting convoluted legalese to be sure of precision if people then can't disentangle the meaning.

Used with why or when

  • what: When we disentangle what we believe, and what we used to build our universe, is what will exist in our universe.

Modifying Another Word

  • carefully: This took a lot of painstaking work, as in some cases I had to carefully disentangle stems before tying them in again.
  • n't: There's no point drafting convoluted legalese to be sure of precision if people then ca n't disentangle the meaning.