extricate
EK-strih-kayt
/ˈɛkstrɪkeɪt/
To free or disentangle someone or something from a severe constraint, trap, or complex difficulty.
Implies careful, methodical effort to free something deeply entangled or jammed.
The story behind the word. In ancient Rome, 'tricae' referred to petty annoyances, tricks, or entanglements (like fetters around a bird's feet). Adding 'ex-' created 'extricare'—literally un-perplexing or picking someone out of a tangled mess.
Word relationships
- disentangle: Disentangle emphasizes untangling threads or cords, whereas extricate often applies to physical entrapment or sticky situations.
- free: Free is general, while extricate highlights the painstaking process required to achieve liberation.
- entangle: Entangle means to snarl or trap tightly in ropes or obstacles.
- enmesh: Enmesh means to catch as if in a net or complex snare.
Commonly confused with
- extract: Extract means to pull out (e.g. teeth, minerals); extricate emphasizes untangling from a complex trap.
Word family
- extrication (noun): The act or process of freeing someone from entrapment.
- inextricable (adjective): Impossible to disentangle or separate.
Collocations
- extricate oneself
- extricate from debris
- successfully extricate
- extricate a victim
Example sentences
- "Rescuers spent three hours using hydraulic tools to extricate the injured climber from between the boulders." Cliff rescue
- "It proved remarkably difficult for the commander to extricate his team from the diplomatic standoff." Metaphorical difficulty
Memory hook
EXTRICATE means getting out of EXTREMELY TRICKY entanglements. Disentangle from a trap.
When not to use
Do not use for simple acts like picking up an object; it demands a complex structural or physical barrier.
Fun facts
- Emergency responders call heavy cutting shear tools 'extrication equipment' during vehicle rescues.
Related words
Explore more words
intricate, excavate, exonerate, liberation, emancipation, perplexed
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