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extricate

verb
ex·​tri·​cate | \ ˈek-strə-ˌkāt How to pronounce extricate (audio) \
extricated; extricating

Definition of extricate

transitive verb

1 : to free or remove from an entanglement or difficulty
2a : to distinguish from a related thing
b archaic : unravel
Other Words from extricate Synonyms & Antonyms Choose the Right Synonym Did You Know? Example Sentences Learn More about extricate

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Other Words from extricate

extricable \ ik-​ˈstri-​kə-​bəl How to pronounce extricable (audio) , ek-​ˈstri-​ , ˈek-​(ˌ)stri-​ How to pronounce extricable (audio) \ adjective
extrication \ ˌek-​strə-​ˈkā-​shən How to pronounce extrication (audio) \ noun

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

Did You Know?

It can take an ample amount of dexterity - manual, verbal, or mental - to free yourself from a tangled situation. This can be seen in extricate, a word derived from Latin extricatus, which combines the prefix ex- ("out of") with the noun tricae, meaning "trifles or perplexities." (The resemblance of tricae to our word trick is no illusion; it’s an ancestor.) While a number of words (such as "disentangle") share with extricate the meaning of "to free from difficulty," extricate suggests the act of doing so with care and ingenuity, as in "Through months of careful budgeting, he was able to extricate himself from his financial burdens."

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.
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Recent Examples on the Web

 The bank didn’t extricate itself until 2013; after that, Epstein moved to Deutsche Bank, which kept him on as a client until this summer. — Amy Davidson Sorkin, The New Yorker, "The Failure to See What Jeffrey Epstein Was Doing," 18 Aug. 2019 Rodrick had to be extricated from his car, Erow said, and was transported to the hospital for a complaint of pain throughout his body. — Amy Lavalley, Post-Tribune, "Four injured in two Porter County crashes," 11 May 2018 One occupant was able to get out of the car, but two others were seriously hurt and had to be extricated, police said. — Joe Robertson And John Sleezer, kansascity, "Two teens seriously injured in Prairie Village crash," 7 Feb. 2018 He was pronounced dead on the scene at 8:20 p.m. Mountain Brook firefighters extricated the passenger from the vehicle. — Carol Robinson | Crobinson@al.com, al, "37-year-old Birmingham man identified as victim killed in U.S. 280 crash," 19 Aug. 2019 Stuck at the epicentre of a political storm, Mr Mueller sought to extricate himself as painlessly as possible. — The Economist, "Impeachment looks even less likely now than before Robert Mueller’s testimony," 25 July 2019 Ventura County Firefighters extricate one of 2 fatal victims of a single engine aircraft that crashed approx 1:30pm at Camarillo Airport. — Alex Wigglesworth, Los Angeles Times, "Two killed in crash of small plane at Camarillo Airport," 7 Aug. 2019 There is now a need to extricate it from regressive nationalist politics, moving it towards a broader intersectional framework of progressive queerness. — Anish Gawande, Quartz India, "Transgender citizens: The other “integral part of India” that may have been shortchanged by its parliament," 6 Aug. 2019 The injured occupants were trapped in the car and firefighters extricated both of them following the crash, State Police said in a tweet early Sunday morning. — Amanda Kaufman, BostonGlobe.com, "Taunton woman killed Saturday night in two-car crash in Norton," 21 July 2019

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'extricate.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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First Known Use of extricate

1601, in the meaning defined at sense 2b

History and Etymology for extricate

Latin extricatus, past participle of extricare, from ex- + tricae trifles, perplexities

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More Definitions for extricate

extricate

verb
How to pronounce extricate (audio)

English Language Learners Definition of extricate

: to free or remove (someone or something) from something (such as a trap or a difficult situation)

See the full definition for extricate in the English Language Learners Dictionary

extricate

verb
ex·​tri·​cate | \ ˈek-strə-ˌkāt How to pronounce extricate (audio) \
extricated; extricating

Kids Definition of extricate

: to free from a trap or difficulty

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More from Merriam-Webster on extricate

Rhyming Dictionary: Words that rhyme with extricate

Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for extricate

Spanish Central: Translation of extricate

Nglish: Translation of extricate for Spanish Speakers

Britannica English: Translation of extricate for Arabic Speakers

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