ravel

verb

Definition of ravelnext
as in to unravel

Related Words

Relevance

Dissimilar Words

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of ravel So somehow, Grace, Sacha and Robert end up accompanying Art and Charlotte to Norfolk, and all of their stories unravel and ravel at once. — Ellen Akins, Washington Post, 14 Aug. 2020 Her eight novels, including the 2016 bestseller Commonwealth, tend to focus on families or groups raveling and unraveling over decades. — Kaitlin Menza, Condé Nast Traveler, 27 Sep. 2019
Recent Examples of Synonyms for ravel
  1. unravel
  2. unwind
  3. disentangle
  4. untangle
  5. unsnarl
Verb
  • As Prue and Curtis struggle to unravel the twisty lore of the obstacle-laden forest in their search for Mac, their outsider presence inadvertently sets off a long-festering showdown for control of the forest between its warring factions.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 23 Oct. 2026
  • Fabric thinning or developing holes was the top concern (62 percent), followed by seams splitting or unravelling (55 percent).
    — Cleo Levin, Footwear News, 23 Oct. 2026
Definition of unravel
Verb
  • The greater the dependence, the greater the political pressure to unwind it.
    — Keyu Jin, Time, 23 Oct. 2026
  • They’re shown here in 1971 with a friend, unwinding in their Haddon Hall flat.
    — Eleni N. Gage, Architectural Digest, 21 Oct. 2026
Definition of unwind
Verb
  • Pawlikowski’s mother and father, also named Zula and Wiktor, whose unmanageable love had kept them tangled and disentangled for decades, took their own lives in 1989, as the Cold War that had cast its chill upon their time was beginning to thaw.
    — Anthony Lane, New Yorker, 28 Sep. 2026
  • His remarks escalated a confrontation over New York’s efforts to disentangle local police from federal immigration enforcement.
    — María Luisa Paúl, USA Today, 2 Sep. 2026
Definition of disentangle
Verb
  • The chemistry prize recognized two scientists for untangling mysterious mirror images in molecules, a discovery that has been used to develop countless drugs.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 8 Oct. 2026
  • The reason why is a mystery—scientists are still working to untangle whether a healthy gut drives longevity or is a by-product of it.
    — Jackie Flynn Mogensen, Scientific American, 5 Oct. 2026
Definition of untangle
Verb
  • How to unsnarl the emotions that play tug-of-war with our souls?
    — Michael Schulman, New Yorker, 15 Dec. 2025
  • During the recent supply-chain crisis, XPO helped unsnarl bottlenecks for customers in several industries.
    — Joann S. Lublin, Time, 27 Nov. 2022
Definition of unsnarl

Browse Nearby Words

raved
ravel
raveled
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Ravel.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ravel. Accessed 30 Oct. 2026.

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