disentangle
UK: ˌdɪsɪnˈtæŋɡl | US: ˌdɪsɪnˈtæŋɡl
vt. to free from entanglement or confusion
vt. to unravel or separate (threads, knots, etc.)
vt. to resolve (a complex problem or situation)
The word "disentangle" combines the prefix "dis-" (from Latin dis-, meaning "apart" or "away") with the verb "entangle" (from Old English tanglian, meaning "to twist or knot"). The prefix "dis-" negates or reverses the action of "entangle," creating a word that means "to untwist" or "to free from knots." Over time, the meaning expanded metaphorically to include resolving abstract complexities.
She carefully disentangled the necklace chain.
The mediator helped disentangle the legal dispute.
It took hours to disentangle the fishing net.
He struggled to disentangle truth from lies.
The algorithm disentangles overlapping data points.