ravel

1 of 2

verb

rav·​el ˈra-vəl How to pronounce ravel (audio)
raveled or ravelled; raveling or ravelling ˈrav-liŋ How to pronounce ravel (audio)
ˈra-və-

intransitive verb

1
: to become unwoven, untwisted, or unwound : fray
2
3
obsolete : to become entangled or confused

transitive verb

1
a
: to separate or undo the texture of : unravel
b
: to undo the intricacies of : disentangle
2
raveler
ˈrav-lər How to pronounce ravel (audio)
ˈra-və-
noun
ravelment noun

ravel

2 of 2

noun

: 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

Recent Examples on the Web
Verb
Proponents pointed to ravel time between Europe and North America being cut in half. Michael Verdon, Robb Report, 27 Nov. 2023 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
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

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'ravel.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Verb

Dutch rafelen, from rafel loose thread

First Known Use

Verb

circa 1540, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1a

Noun

1634, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of ravel was circa 1540

Dictionary Entries Near ravel

Cite this Entry

“Ravel.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/ravel. Accessed 29 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

ravel

1 of 2 verb
rav·​el ˈrav-əl How to pronounce ravel (audio)
raveled or ravelled; raveling or ravelling -(ə-)liŋ How to pronounce ravel (audio)
raveler noun
or raveller
-(ə-)lər

ravel

2 of 2 noun
: something that is raveled

Biographical Definition

Ravel

biographical name

Ra·​vel rə-ˈvel How to pronounce Ravel (audio)
ra-
(Joseph) Mau*rice mȯ-ˈrēs How to pronounce Ravel (audio) 1875–1937 French composer
Ravelian
rə-ˈve-lyən How to pronounce Ravel (audio)
ra-
-lē-ən
adjective

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