unravel

unravel — verb

1. When threads, knitted fabric, or twisted fibres separate into individual loose s

1.verbtransitive / intransitiveB2
Definition

When threads, knitted fabric, or twisted fibres separate into individual loose strands — happening either by itself or because someone deliberately pulls them apart.

Example

The old jumper began to unravel at the elbow after years of wear.

intransitive: clothing unravelling on its own

Hiro carefully unravelled the tangled fishing line so he could use it again.

transitive: someone deliberately unravelling something

Common collocations
  • unravel a sweater
  • unravel a scarf
  • yarn unravels
  • threads unravel
  • unravel a knot
  • stitches unravel
Synonyms
  • disentangle

    more deliberate and careful; often used for hair or threads that are tightly twisted

  • undo

    broader meaning; applies to buttons, zippers, and stitches as well as knitted items

  • untangle

    focuses on separating twisted items; less specific to knitting or weaving

Antonyms
  • knit

    the opposite action — joining threads together to create fabric

  • weave

    interlacing threads to form cloth

  • tangle

    to twist threads into a messy, knotted state

Grammar Patterns

unravel + noun (transitive)

noun + unravel (intransitive)

Usage Note

Frequently used either transitively (someone unravels something) or intransitively (something unravels by itself). In knitting contexts, unravelling is often deliberate — done to reuse the yarn.

Common Mistakes

The string unravelled off the package.
The string unravelled from the package.
use 'from' not 'off' when describing separation.
I unravelled the knot on my shoelace.
I untied the knot on my shoelace.
'unravel' describes threads separating, not loosening a bow or simple knot.

2. To investigate and figure out the truth or meaning of something that was puzzlin

2.verbtransitiveB2
Definition

To investigate and figure out the truth or meaning of something that was puzzling, secret, or hard to understand — for example, solving a crime, interpreting an old text, or discovering why something happened.

Example

The young detective unravelled the mystery after finding a hidden letter.

collocation: unravel a mystery

Scientists are working hard to unravel the causes of the rare disease.

collocation: unravel the causes (of a problem)

Common collocations
  • unravel a mystery
  • unravel the truth
  • unravel a secret
  • unravel the cause
  • unravel a case
  • unravel the meaning
Synonyms
  • solve

    more final and complete; implies finding a definite answer

  • decipher

    specifically about decoding symbols, writing, or codes

  • clarify

    less dramatic; simply makes something easier to understand without implying full resolution

Antonyms
  • complicate

    to make something harder to understand than it already is

  • confuse

    to cause someone to lose clarity about a subject

  • obscure

    to hide or cover up the truth

Grammar Patterns

unravel + noun (mystery, truth, cause)

Usage Note

Almost always transitive. Common in crime, science, and historical research contexts. Typical objects include 'mystery', 'truth', 'secret', 'cause', 'case', 'meaning'.

Common Mistakes

He unravelled the knot of the problem.
He unravelled the complex problem.
avoid mixing the literal thread image with this figurative sense; use abstract objects directly.
The truth finally unravelled itself.
The truth finally came to light.
this sense is transitive; use 'came to light' or 'was revealed' for intransitive revelation.

3. When something built up gradually over time — such as a peace process, a busines

3.verbintransitiveC1
Definition

When something built up gradually over time — such as a peace process, a business deal, a political alliance, or an economic system — gradually falls apart and stops working.

Example

The peace agreement began to unravel soon after the leader resigned.

collocation: agreement begins to unravel

Élise watched her carefully laid business plans unravel in just one week.

Common collocations
  • plan unravels
  • agreement unravels
  • alliance unravels
  • partnership unravels
  • reform unravels
  • system unravels
Synonyms
  • collapse

    more sudden and complete; implies a total failure rather than a gradual one

  • crumble

    suggests something falling apart bit by bit, often from weak foundations

  • fall apart

    informal alternative; can describe any kind of failure from small to catastrophic

Antonyms
  • consolidate

    to make something stronger and more stable

  • strengthen

    to make a system or relationship more secure

  • build

    to create or develop something gradually over time

Grammar Patterns

noun (plan / agreement / system) + unravel

Usage Note

Intransitive only — the subject is the thing that falls apart, not the agent causing it. Common subjects: 'agreement', 'plan', 'alliance', 'system', 'partnership', 'reform'. Often used with 'begin to' or 'start to'.

Common Mistakes

The manager unravelled the project.
The project unravelled when the manager left.
this sense is intransitive; the thing falls apart on its own or due to circumstances, not because someone actively destroys it.
Their marriage unravelled overnight.
Their marriage unravelled slowly over many months.
unravelling in this sense is usually gradual, not sudden.

4. When a person loses their emotional or mental stability, or when the normal stru

4.verbintransitiveC1
Definition

When a person loses their emotional or mental stability, or when the normal structures of their everyday life gradually break down due to stress, grief, or misfortune.

Example

After losing his job and his home, Owen felt his whole life begin to unravel.

collocation: life begins to unravel

The therapist helped Tariro when her sense of stability started to unravel.

Common collocations
  • life unravels
  • world unravels
  • confidence unravels
  • sense of stability unravels
  • mind unravels
  • routines unravel
Synonyms
  • break down

    more general; can describe machines, systems, or emotional health

  • fall apart

    informal; emphasises a complete loss of order

  • collapse

    suggests a sudden and total failure of emotional or mental health

Antonyms

Grammar Patterns

noun (life / world / confidence) + unravel

begin / start to unravel

Usage Note

Intransitive only. The subject is usually an abstraction related to the person: 'life', 'world', 'confidence', 'mind', 'sense of stability'. Often appears in therapeutic or literary contexts describing mental health decline.

Common Mistakes

He unravelled after the accident.
His life unravelled after the accident.
the person themselves does not unravel; their life, world, or emotional state does.
Her mind unravelled suddenly.
Her mind began to unravel over several months.
the unravelling is usually gradual, not instant.

Word family

  • unravelling
    nounC1
  • unravelled
    adjectiveB2

Synonym discussion

Sense: verb/1

These four verbs all describe separating twisted or joined items, but they differ in scope and typical use. 'Disentangle' is the most deliberate and careful — you disentangle hair, fishing line, or legal complications with patience and precision. 'Untangle' is more general and slightly informal; it suits everyday tangles like headphones or Christmas lights. 'Undo' is the broadest term, covering buttons, zippers, stitches, knots, and more — it lacks the specific thread-separation flavour of 'unravel'. 'Unknot' is the most specific: it means to remove a single knot from a rope or string, not to take apart an entire knitted item. For example: 'She disentangled the pearls from her necklace one by one.' 'I untangled the wire hangers in the wardrobe.' 'He undid the top button of his shirt.' 'The sailor unknotted the rope from the dock.'

disentangleuntangleundo ↗unknot

Common collocations

Adverbs

Phrases

  • begin to unravel
  • start to unravel

Prepositions

Etymology

DutchEnglish

Made up of 'un-' (a prefix that reverses an action, from Old English 'on-, un-') and 'ravel' (from Dutch 'rafelen' meaning to tangle, fray, or untangle). Interestingly, 'ravel' itself has meant both 'to tangle' and 'to untangle' for centuries, so 'unravel' adds extra force to the undoing meaning. The word first appeared in English around the 1600s, originally describing threads coming apart.