To separate the threads of something woven or knitted, or to come apart in this way. It also means to solve or make clear a complicated problem or mystery.
From 'un-' (reverse) + 'ravel' (to tangle), first used in the 1500s. Interestingly, 'ravel' once meant both 'to tangle' and 'to untangle', so 'unravel' helped disambiguate the meaning.
Unravel gives a physical picture for understanding: imagine pulling on a loose thread of a sweater until the whole pattern comes apart. That’s exactly what you do with a mystery—pull on small details until the whole story is exposed.
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