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Definitions

untie

[uhn-tahy] / ʌnˈtaɪ /
VERB
unlace
Synonyms
Antonyms
STRONG
WEAK




Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

See Examples For:

"These cuts and reductions untie perpetrators' hands everywhere, leaving them to do whatever they please. With crises mounting, we cannot afford a human rights system in crisis," he added.

From Barron's Feb. 5, 2026

As a gesture of true camaraderie, they grin and untie their own blue pañuelos and tie these kerchiefs around our necks.

From Salon Nov. 8, 2025

TSA has often been a crapshoot, risking pileups as travelers pulled laptops from carry-ons and novice vacationers struggled to untie their sneakers.

From The Wall Street Journal Oct. 7, 2025

Kardashian was quickly able to untie herself and her bodyguard arrived shortly after.

From BBC May 12, 2025

That’s why, when midnight comes, I sneak out of the house, get in my skiff, untie the lines, and drift down the creek, quiet as the night.

From "The Young Man and the Sea" by Rodman Philbrick

Under Mr. Cullman’s incisive direction the entire cast unties the emotional knots of the characters with impressive dexterity.

From The Wall Street Journal Apr. 7, 2026

On her deathbed, she finally unties the ribbon.

From Salon Aug. 24, 2022

QUANTICO, Va. — Curator Owen L. Conner carefully unties the ribbon around the weathered slats and removes the storage paper.

From Washington Post Sep. 18, 2021

Binoche, dancing in front of an air vent, unties a long, thick braid and shakes her black hair loose.

From The New Yorker Apr. 5, 2019

He unties everything and secures the rope more strongly.

From "Jazz" by Toni Morrison

But two years after the Supreme Court untied their hands, Grants Pass has not solved homelessness, and things have gone from bad to worse.

From Slate Jun. 27, 2026

She and Melissa take it out, and then they realize they have to put it back in so he doesn't know that they're untied.

From Salon May 1, 2025

Under the glare of fluorescent lights in her lab she slowly untied it, piece by piece, to expose the fabric for the first time in more than three decades.

From BBC Jan. 16, 2025

Johnston scored despite his right cleat being untied throughout the play.

From Los Angeles Times Aug. 13, 2023

One of his sneakers had come untied again and he pulled it off.

From "All About Sam" by Lois Lowry

Also a Harnick sweet spot: forcefully untying the knots later.

From New York Times Jun. 23, 2023

Kris Siyuja, 14, took seriously his duties over the two days of events, which included untying bundles of sage, carrying a staff and tapping a drum that he said would amplify Havasupai voices.

From Seattle Times May 11, 2023

But those surveyed by Pew also acknowledged that untying their countries and themselves from China was "not a pragmatic goal" from an economic standpoint.

From BBC Mar. 22, 2023

"We're untying our own hands with the update on unfair and deceptive practices," he said.

From Reuters Sep. 7, 2022

I kept shifting in my seat, untying and retying my shoelaces.

From "The Kite Runner" by Khaled Hosseini




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