tangle vs uncoil

tangle

verb
  • To catch and hold. 

  • To mix together or intertwine. 

  • To enter into an argument, conflict, dispute, or fight. 

  • To become mixed together or intertwined. 

noun
  • Any large type of seaweed, especially a species of Laminaria. 

  • An argument, conflict, dispute, or fight. 

  • A complicated or confused state or condition. 

  • A tangled twisted mass. 

  • A paired helical fragment of tau protein found in a nerve cell and associated with Alzheimer's disease. 

  • Any long hanging thing, even a lanky person. 

  • A region of the projection of a knot such that the knot crosses its perimeter exactly four times. 

  • An instrument consisting essentially of an iron bar to which are attached swabs, or bundles of frayed rope, or other similar substances, used to capture starfishes, sea urchins, and other similar creatures living at the bottom of the sea. 

  • A form of art which consists of sections filled with repetitive patterns. 

uncoil

verb
  • To unwind or untwist (something). 

  • To unwind or untwist oneself. 

How often have the words tangle and uncoil occurred in a corpus of books? (source: Google Ngram Viewer )