extricate

verb

ex·tri·cate ˈek-strə-ˌkāt

extricated; extricating

Synonyms of extricate

transitive verb

: to free or remove from an entanglement or difficulty

: to distinguish from a related thing

archaic : unravel

extricable

ik-ˈstri-kə-bəl

ek-ˈstri-

ˈek-(ˌ)stri-

adjective

extrication

ˌek-strə-ˈkā-shən

noun

Did you know?

Oh what a tangled web the English language weaves. Extricate, for example, may remind you of extract, another word applied when something is removed, but we can tease them apart. Although extricate and extract resemble each other, to extract something is to remove it using methods that often involve physical force, as in “the dentist had to extract my tooth.” Extricate, on the other hand, is more often used for the act of freeing someone or something from a difficult or tangled situation, which can, but need not, involve literal yanking or pulling. Extricating yourself from an awkward conversation, after all, can be as simple as announcing “I need to take this call!” and shuffling off with phone to ear. Extricate comes from the Latin verb extricare, which combines the prefix ex- (“out of”) with the noun tricae, meaning “trifles or perplexities.”

Choose the Right Synonym for extricate

extricate, disentangle, untangle, disencumber, disembarrass mean to free from what binds or holds back.

extricate implies the use of care or ingenuity in freeing from a difficult position or situation.

extricated himself from financial difficulties

disentangle and untangle suggest painstaking separation of a thing from other things.

disentangling fact from fiction

untangle a web of deceit

disencumber implies a release from something that clogs or weighs down.

an article disencumbered of jargon

disembarrass suggests a release from something that impedes or hinders.

disembarrassed herself of her advisers

Examples of extricate in a Sentence

Several survivors were extricated from the wreckage. They extricated the tractor from the mud. She hasn't been able to extricate herself from her legal problems.

Recent Examples on the Web

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

This begs the question: What can countries in this region do to extricate themselves from this trap? —Nana Ama Sarfo, Forbes, 17 Mar. 2025 Firefighters had to extricate the man, who was not wearing a seatbelt, authorities said. —Clifford Ward, Chicago Tribune, 10 Mar. 2025 There has to be something remarkable, besides her jam-making skills, about a woman with the strength of will to extricate herself, her children, and a husband who’d spent his whole life within the institution from the notoriously controlling British royal family. —Judy Berman, TIME, 4 Mar. 2025 Firefighters had to extricate two people from the BMW. —David Goodhue, Miami Herald, 3 Mar. 2025 See All Example Sentences for extricate