raveled or ravelled; raveling or ravelling
ˈrav-liŋ 
ˈra-və-
1
: to become unwoven, untwisted, or unwound : fray
3
obsolete
: to become entangled or confused
1
a
: to separate or undo the texture of : unravel
b
: to undo the intricacies of : disentangle
: an act or result of raveling: such as
a
: something tangled
b
: something raveled out
specifically
: a loose thread
Examples of ravel in a Sentence
Verb
since the sweater is too small, you could ravel the yarn out and make something else with it
Recent Examples on the Web
Ellen Akins, Washington Post, 14 Aug. 2020
Her eight novels, including the 2016 bestseller Commonwealth, tend to focus on families or groups raveling and unraveling over decades.
—Kaitlin Menza, Condé Nast Traveler, 27 Sep. 2019
Now, with many New Yorkers complaining that life in New York is raveling under Mr. Bloomberg’s progressive successor, Bill de Blasio, a top Bloomberg lieutenant is telling his version of how the city was revitalized.
—Edward Kosner, WSJ, 11 Sep. 2017
Daniel Rodgers, Glamour, 10 July 2024
Their faces are a footnote in a scene primed to explore the ravel of limbs, the sensuous indentations of spine, shoulder blades, and muscle.
—Vulture, 17 Oct. 2023
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
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Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
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Verb
So somehow, Grace, Sacha and Robert end up accompanying Art and Charlotte to Norfolk, and all of their stories unravel and ravel at once.
—Ellen Akins, Washington Post, 14 Aug. 2020
Her eight novels, including the 2016 bestseller Commonwealth, tend to focus on families or groups raveling and unraveling over decades.
—Kaitlin Menza, Condé Nast Traveler, 27 Sep. 2019
Now, with many New Yorkers complaining that life in New York is raveling under Mr. Bloomberg’s progressive successor, Bill de Blasio, a top Bloomberg lieutenant is telling his version of how the city was revitalized.
—Edward Kosner, WSJ, 11 Sep. 2017
Noun
The musician wore that ravel bag with a chiffon Dolce & Gabbana dress, Tabi ballet flats and a blunt-banged wig.
—Daniel Rodgers, Glamour, 10 July 2024
Their faces are a footnote in a scene primed to explore the ravel of limbs, the sensuous indentations of spine, shoulder blades, and muscle.
—Vulture, 17 Oct. 2023
Cite this Entry
“Ravel.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/ravel. Accessed 4 Nov. 2025.
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