UNRAVEL

[verb] -ll- or US usually -l- - (of a piece of woollen or woven cloth) to separate into threads, or to separate the single threads of (a piece of cloth, a knot or a mass of threads)You'd better mend that hole before the whole sweater starts to unravel. [I]I had to unravel one of the sleeves because I realised I'd knitted it too small. [T](figurative) No-one has yet satisfactorily unravelled (= solved) the mystery of Johnson's death. [T](figurative) We've got a long way to go before we unravel (= discover) the secrets of genetics. [T](figurative) As talks between the leaders broke down, several months of careful diplomacy were unravelled (= destroyed). [T]