Hello, you have come here looking for the meaning of the word unravel. In DICTIOUS you will not only get to know all the dictionary meanings for the word unravel, but we will also tell you about its etymology, its characteristics and you will know how to say unravel in singular and plural. Everything you need to know about the word unravel you have here. The definition of the word unravel will help you to be more precise and correct when speaking or writing your texts. Knowing the definition ofunravel, as well as those of other words, enriches your vocabulary and provides you with more and better linguistic resources.
The preſent Argument is the moſt abſtracted that ever I engaged in, it ſtrains my Faculties to their higheſt Stretch; and I deſire the Reader to attend with utmoſt perpenſity; For, I now proceed to unravel this knotty Point.
I left Holmes seated in front of the smouldering fire, and long into the watches of the night I heard the low, melancholy wailings of his violin, and knew that he was still pondering over the strange problem which he had set himself to unravel.
2018, James Lambert, “Anglo-Indian slang in dictionaries on historical principles”, in World Englishes, volume 37, page 255:
Besides assisting in unravelling these two etymological conundrums, the present research also made an effort to approach a greater accuracy in presenting the original sources of borrowed words.
(transitive,figurative) To separate the connected or united parts of; to throw into disorder; to confuse.
to unravel the global compromise achieved in the Constitutional Treaty
Art shall be conjured for it, and nature all unravelled.
2020 June 3, Andrew Mourant, “A safer railway in a greener habitat”, in Rail, page 58:
Storm Charlie had raged throught [sic] the night and was unleashing further gusts on the morning that RAIL was due to inspect a vegetation management project in Kent. Bit by bit, the train timetable unravelled. A trip beginning at Bradford-on-Avon belatedly reached Bath, but that turned out to be journey's end.
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.
Usage notes
The spellings unraveling and unraveled are primarily US while unravelling and unravelled are primarily UK, other Commonwealth countries, and Ireland.