ravelled
Came apart threadwise
Ravelled means tangled or frayed, with threads coming loose or unwound.
The word can also mean the opposite—disentangled or unraveled—though this sense is rarer.
Shakespeare's "sleep that knits up the ravelled sleave of care" uses the tangled sense.
Ravelled is the British spelling; American English prefers raveled.
The ambiguity mirrors unravel, which similarly means both to tangle and to untangle.
Growled or knotted
- knottedTied with loops
- entangledTwisted together inseparably
- mattedTangled into clumps
- twistedWound around itself
coiled · jumbled · enmeshed · snagged · clumped · interwoven · meshed · woven
Released from coils
- loosenedMade less tight
- untangledSeparated what was knotted
- disentangledMade free from snarls
- frayedUnraveled at edges
threadbare · worn · tattered · pulled · unpicked · disintegrating · deteriorating · released
Causing mental confusion
- bewilderingCausing utter confusion
- puzzlingCausing confusion or bewilderment
- complexHaving many interconnected parts
- convolutedExcessively complex or twisted
intricate · complicated · muddled · obscure · unclear · labyrinthine · byzantine · tortuous
snarled
Growled or knotted
twisted · coiled · jumbled · enmeshed · snagged · clumped · interwoven · meshed · woven · braided
unwound
Released from coils
- loosenedMade less tight
- untangledSeparated what was knotted
- disentangledMade free from snarls
frayed · threadbare · worn · tattered · pulled · unpicked · disintegrating · deteriorating · released · freed
perplexing
Causing mental confusion
- bewilderingCausing utter confusion
- puzzlingCausing confusion or bewilderment
- complexHaving many interconnected parts
convoluted · intricate · complicated · muddled · obscure · unclear · labyrinthine · byzantine · tortuous · involved
macramé
Fiber art using knots
bowline · hitch · overhand · lanyard · cordage · interlaced · ligature · noose · shoelace · nautical
ravelleduntangled
Separated what was knotted
disentangled · smooth · unknotted · untwisted · straightened
ravelledunravelled
Became unwoven or solved
resolved · clarified · sorted · clear · straightened out