MEANING
To separate closely connected factors or ideas so that their distinct roles become clear.
Use it for
overlapping causes; mixed arguments; ambiguous evidenceClarify which part of a complex relationship is being examined.
Words that belong together
- disentangle the effects
- disentangle fact from opinion
- disentangle competing explanations
On the page
The design cannot disentangle the effects of age and work experience.
By comparing the letters, she disentangled two stories later merged into one.
It is difficult to disentangle economic motives from political loyalties.
Nearby words
Opposite meanings
Related words
Word forms
- Base
- disentangle / disentangles
- Past tense
- disentangled
- Past participle
- disentangled
- Present participle
- disentangling
Full tense & aspect guide
- Present
- disentangle / disentangles
- Present continuous
- am/is/are disentangling
- Present perfect
- have/has disentangled
- Present perfect continuous
- have/has been disentangling
- Past
- disentangled
- Past continuous
- was/were disentangling
- Past perfect
- had disentangled
- Past perfect continuous
- had been disentangling
- Future
- will disentangle / disentangles
- Future continuous
- will be disentangling
- Future perfect
- will have disentangled
- Future perfect continuous
- will have been disentangling
Choose the auxiliary that agrees with your subject. These are constructions of one word, not separate entries.
Usage notes
Primary category: academic. Figurative use is common in analysis; it does not imply that genuinely interdependent causes can always be isolated. Also literally untangle intertwined objects. Verb inflections [base, third-person singular, past, past participle, -ing]: disentangle, disentangles, disentangled, disentangled, disentangling. Derived family (not inflections): disentanglement.
Practice this word in a sentenceYour margin notes
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