VocabauraVOCABAURA

ravel

verb · noun

Simple meaning

To unwind; to pull apart.

Pronunciation

Say it like this:

ravuhl

Say the bold part a little louder.

US device voice
IPA pronunciation (US)

ˈɹævəl

This word is pronounced essentially the same in American and British English, so one transcription covers both.

IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) is a standard way of writing speech sounds.

Word Review

Definition

Everyday modern meanings first, grouped by part of speech.

verb

  1. transitive

    To unwind (a reel of thread, a skein of yarn, etc.); to pull apart (cloth, a seam, etc.); to fray, to unpick, to unravel; also, to pull out (a string of yarn, a thread, etc.) from a piece of fabric, or a skein or reel.

  2. intransitive

    Often followed by out: of a reel of thread or skein of yarn; or a thread on a reel or a string of yarn in a skein, etc.: to become untwisted or unwound.

  3. transitivealso figuratively

    Often followed by up: to form (something) out of discrete elements, like weaving fabric from threads; to knit.

  4. intransitivealso figuratively

    Often followed by out: of clothing, fabric, etc.: to become unwoven; to fray, to unravel.

  5. transitive

    To entwine or tangle (something) confusedly; to entangle.

  6. Tangle or complicate

noun

  1. figuratively

    A confusing, intricate, or perplexing situation; a complication.

  2. also figuratively

    A thread which has unravelled from fabric, etc.; also, a situation of fabric, etc., coming apart; an unravelling.

  3. A tangled mess; an entanglement, a snarl, a tangle.

Word at a Glance

Frequency
Uncommon

Share your sentence

Write your own example sentence using “ravel”. We review each one before it appears.

Similar Words, What’s the Difference?

Close in meaning, but not always interchangeable.

  • run

    Of stitches or stitched clothing, to unravel.

  • unravel

    To separate the threads of (something knitted or woven, such as clothing or fabric).

Word Family

Related forms, grouped by how they connect.

Compound terms

Established multiword terms.

More about this wordSynonyms, forms, origin

Synonyms

Sense: to unwind (a reel of thread

unravelrun

Antonyms

Sense: to unwind (a reel of thread

unravelunpickRare

Ask Vocabaura

Understand the word your way.

What Does It Mean Here?

Words can change meaning depending on context.

Use it yourself

Keep learning “ravel” by choosing the kind of practice you need next.

Want to type words like this one without looking at the keyboard? Each typing round draws from words you've learned, saved or need to review. Follow the free Learn to Type lessons and type your own vocabulary with confidence.

Know the meaning? Practice vocabulary in real situations.

Dictionary data from Wiktionary via the Free Dictionary API. Simple meanings, combinations and word intelligence are built from verified reference data, no AI is used to load this page.