Ravel

/ˈrævəl/

Meaning & Definition

noun

a tangle or complication.

The project turned into a ravel, making it hard to see how to proceed.

a state of confusion or complexity.

The ravel of information made it difficult to draw any conclusions.

verb

to become disordered or tangled; to complicate.

The sweater began to ravel after several washes, showing all its loose threads.

to disentangle or unravel something.

She took her time to ravel the complicated knot in the fishing line.

to explain something in a complex or intricate way.

The professor was known to ravel the subjects he taught, making them difficult for students to understand.

Middle English, from Old French 'raveler', from 'ravel' meaning 'to snare, entangle'.

raveling yarn

the process of unwinding yarn or thread

to ravel out

to untangle or remove knots from something

in a ravel

to be in a state of confusion or disorder

unravel

to untwist or undo something twisted or tangled.

entangle

to twist together or entwine into a confusing mass.

to mess something up

He really raveled that project when he didn't follow the guidelines.

to get into a chaotic situation

Things started to ravel when they didn't stick to the plan.