Dictionary Workbench Ondict

unravel

Dictionary entry view. Switch to definition mode above when you know the meaning but not the word.

unravel

Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English 5++朗文当代英语 5++LDOCE 5++朗文 5++un·rav·el /ʌnˈrævəl/ ●○○ verb (unravelled, unravelling British English, unraveled, unraveling American English)  1 [transitive]SOLVE/FIND THE ANSWER to understand or explain something that is mysterious or complicated 理解;解释,阐明 Detectives are still trying to unravel the mystery surrounding his death. 侦探们仍在试图解开他的死亡之谜。2. [intransitive, transitive]SEPARATE if you unravel threads, string etc, or if they unravel, they stop being twisted together 解开,拆散〔缠在一起的线、绳等〕;(使)松开3 [intransitive] if a system, plan, organization etc unravels, it starts to fail 〔系统、计划、组织等〕瓦解,崩溃 SYN fall apart The company started to unravel when two of the directors were arrested. 两名董事被捕以后,公司开始分崩离析。→ See Verb table
Examples from the Corpus
unravelAfter three years, their partnership began to unravel.Each circle strengthens the others, until the whole is hard to unravel.Scientists have not yet unraveled every detail of how genes work.Pop that unravels its own workings, undoes itself.Sadly, this will unravel some of the goodwill of recent weeks.Can scientists unravel the complex interactions of chemicals within foods?I do not claim to be able to unravel the complexities of atonement.To counter the danger of the former, Lacan would have us unravel the me entirely.We are only just beginning to unravel the mysteries of the human brain.Evidence for the importance of both is emerging, and unravelling their relative importance presents experimentalists with a major challenge.We can also unravel those texts as individual answers to the problem of effective human agency.
un·rav·el verbChineseSyllable
something understand or or Corpus explain mysterious is that to


unravel
unravel /ʌnˈrævəl/ verb (past tense and past participle unravelled, present participle unravelling British English, unraveled, unraveling American English)
1. [transitive] to understand or explain something that is mysterious or complicated:
    Detectives are still trying to unravel the mystery surrounding his death.
2. [intransitive and transitive] if you unravel threads, string etc, or if they unravel, they stop being twisted together
3. [intransitive] if a system, plan, organization etc unravels, it starts to fail
   SYN  fall apart:
    The company started to unravel when two of the directors were arrested.


un·ravelBrE /ʌnˈrævl/ 🔊NAmE /ʌnˈrævl/ 🔊 verbpresent simple - I / you / we / they unravel BrE /ʌnˈrævl/ 🔊 NAmE /ʌnˈrævl/ 🔊present simple - he / she / it unravels BrE /ʌnˈrævlz/ 🔊 NAmE /ʌnˈrævlz/ 🔊past simple unravelled BrE /ʌnˈrævld/ 🔊 NAmE /ʌnˈrævld/ 🔊past participle unravelled BrE /ʌnˈrævld/ 🔊 NAmE /ʌnˈrævld/ 🔊past simple (US) unraveled BrE /ʌnˈrævld/ 🔊 NAmE /ʌnˈrævld/ 🔊past participle (US) unraveled BrE /ʌnˈrævld/ 🔊 NAmE /ʌnˈrævld/ 🔊 -ing form unravelling BrE /ʌnˈrævlɪŋ/ 🔊 NAmE /ʌnˈrævlɪŋ/ 🔊 -ing form (US) unraveling BrE /ʌnˈrævlɪŋ/ 🔊 NAmE /ʌnˈrævlɪŋ/ 🔊 [transitive, intransitive] ~ (sth) if you unravel threads that are twisted, woven or knitted, or if they unravel, they become separated (把缠或织在一起的线)解开,拆散,松开I unravelled the string and wound it into a ball. 我把绳子解开并绕成一个球。🔊🔊 [intransitive] (of a system, plan, relationship, etc. 系统、计划、关系等) to start to fail or no longer stay together as a whole 解体;崩溃;瓦解 [transitive, intransitive] ~ (sth) to explain sth that is difficult to understand or is mysterious; to become clearer or easier to understand 阐释;说明;澄清;变得清楚易懂The discovery will help scientists unravel the mystery of the Ice Age. 这一发现将有助于科学家揭开冰期的奥秘。🔊🔊