verb
extricate
EK-strih-kayt/ˈekstrɪkeɪt/
To free someone or something from a difficult or trapped situation.
She carefully works to extricate the dog’s leg from the discarded net.
Etymology
Latin extricare meant “disentangle” and also figuratively “clear up” or “unravel.” The same image of undoing a tangle applies to freeing someone from a difficult situation.
In context
They needed an outside contractor with bulldozers and other heavy earthmoving equipment to extricate the bodies.
More examples
- She struggled to extricate her foot from the mud.
- He finally extricated himself from the costly agreement.
- They extricated the cable from the tangle.
Forms
extricate · extricates · extricated · extricating
extrication noun — release from a trap or difficulty
Similar words
- free
- Free is general release; extricate suggests careful effort to escape a tangle or difficulty.
- disentangle
- Disentangle separates tangled parts; extricate can free a whole person or plan from a predicament.