untie
gb/ʌntˈaɪ/ us/ʌntˈaɪ/
B1
English
kiold, kibont, kicsomóz, eloldoz, elold
VERB
B1
1
Usage pattern:
untie [something]
Can you help me untie this knot? It’s too tight.
Segítenél kioldani ezt a csomót? Túl szoros.
She bent down to untie her shoelaces before coming inside.
Lehajolt, hogy kioldja a cipőfűzőjét, mielőtt bejött.
He carefully untied the ribbon on the gift box.
Learner examples
I untied my shoes.
Kioldottam a cipőfűzőmet.
Please untie the ribbon.
Kérlek, oldd ki a szalagot.
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes use *open* instead of *untie* for shoelaces; *open* is not used for knots.
Meaning
undo a knot or bow
Collocations
untie your shoelaces
|untie a knot
|untie a bow
|untie a ribbon
|untie the rope
|untie the string
|untie the package
|untie the bag
|untie a scarf
|untie your hair
Synonyms
undo (Often used for knots and fastenings in general.)
|
unfasten (More general; not only for knots (e.g., buttons, straps).)
Antonyms
tie (To make a knot or bow.)
|
knot (To form a knot in a rope or string.)
Themes
daily_life
|clothing
|tools
Definition
To make something not tied by undoing the knot.
To loosen and remove a knot or bow in a rope, string, shoelaces, etc., so it is no longer tied.
VERB
B2
2
Usage pattern:
untie [someone/something] (from [something])
They untied the dog and let it run in the yard.
Eloldották a kutyát, és hagyták, hogy szaladgáljon az udvaron.
The magician asked a volunteer to untie his hands.
A bűvész megkért egy önkéntest, hogy oldozza el a kezét.
She untied the boat from the dock before pushing off.
Learner examples
He untied the dog.
Eloldotta a kutyát.
They untied her hands.
Eloldozták a kezét.
Common mistake:
Don’t confuse *untie* (remove a rope/knot) with *release* (let someone go in general).
Meaning
free someone or something bound
Collocations
untie someone
|untie his hands
|untie her wrists
|untie the dog
|untie the boat
|untie the horse
|untie someone from a chair
|untie the prisoner
|untie the rope around
|untie the straps
Synonyms
unbound (Focuses on removing bindings; less common in everyday speech.)
|
free (More general; may not specify that ropes or knots were involved.)
Antonyms
tie up (To bind or restrain with rope, string, etc.)
|
bind (To restrain by tying or wrapping tightly.)
Themes
daily_life
|animals
|safety
Definition
To free someone or something that is tied.
To remove or loosen what is tying someone or something up, so that they are no longer bound or restrained.
Grammar
Dictionary form
untie
IPA
GB/ʌntˈaɪ/
US/ʌntˈaɪ/
Syllables & stress
un - tie (2 syllables)
Stress on 2nd syllable (tie)
Word forms
Verb
- Base: untie
- 3rd Person Singular: unties
- Present Participle: untying
- Past: untied
Expressions
untie someone’s hands
1/ʌntˈaɪ sˈʌmwˌʌnz hˈændz/
idiom
give someone freedom to act
To let someone do something without rules stopping them.
Examples
- If you untie her hands, she’ll find a faster way to finish the project.
- Budget cuts tied our hands, but the new funding will untie them.
- The manager untied the team’s hands and told them to choose their own tools.
Learner examples
- The boss untied my hands to solve the problem.
untie the knot
1/ʌntˈaɪ ðə nˈɑt/
idiom
literary
solve a complicated problem
To solve a difficult problem.
Examples
- It took a mediator to untie the knot between the two departments.
- We need to untie the knot of regulations before anything can change.
- Months of careful negotiation finally untied the knot.
untie the purse strings
1/ʌntˈaɪ ðə pˈɚs stɹˈɪŋz/
idiom
start spending money more freely
To be willing to spend money.
Examples
- The company finally untied the purse strings for staff training.
- We’re hoping the council will untie the purse strings and fund the repairs.
- After months of delays, investors untied the purse strings and the project moved forward.
Learner examples
- They untied the purse strings and bought new computers.