extricate implies the use of care or ingenuity in freeing from a difficult position or situation.
extricated himself from financial difficulties
disentangle and untangle suggest painstaking separation of a thing from other things.
disentangling fact from fiction
untangle a web of deceit
disencumber implies a release from something that clogs or weighs down.
an article disencumbered of jargon
disembarrass suggests a release from something that impedes or hinders.
disembarrassed herself of her advisers
Example Sentences
She carefully untangled the child's hair. He untangled the garden hose.
Recent Examples on the WebSuch work may help untangle which factors have historically promoted parasite afflictions and which factors helped humans to keep them at bay. Brian Handwerk, Smithsonian Magazine, 18 Aug. 2022 To untangle especially stubborn matting, dilute a small amount of conditioner with water and use your fingers to gently rub the conditioner solution along the length of the hair, working in the direction of the hair growth. Jolie Kerr, Better Homes & Gardens, 29 Aug. 2022 But the data’s still very messy, and researchers are scrambling to untangle it. Mario Aguilar, STAT, 27 Aug. 2022 To untangle exactly what is going on here, let’s use a recent example of the phenomenon. Amanda Mull, The Atlantic, 6 May 2022 But not all nursing homes suffered losses at the same devastating scale, and researchers are working to untangle the myriad reasons why. Lila Maclellan, Quartz, 26 Apr. 2022 How can one human being—or even a group of people—decipher how to stitch together those interdependencies and untangle those applications? Chetan Mathur, Forbes, 7 June 2022 Hosts Ira Madison III, Louis Virtel and Aida Osman try and untangle the webs of our world in this podcast that will keep you up-to-date in an informative and entertaining way. Lizz Schumer, Good Housekeeping, 23 May 2022 Lean on us to untangle and follow the threads of this complex conflict and its global repercussions, offering you a one-stop read for updates and insights.Washington Post, 1 Mar. 2022 See More