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Spanish Word of the Day Archive
Friday July 18, 2008
desatar, verb:
to undo; to untie; to unleash
Desatar is another word which has a figurative meaning which is probably more common than the literal meaning. Literally, it refers to undoing or untying something or someone.
desatar un nudo
to undo or to untie a knot
desatar un perro
to unleash a dog
desatar el prisionero
to untie the prisoner
More often, especially in journalism, you’ll find it used metaphorically, to mean to spark off, or to unleash undesirable consequences:
Las nuevas medidas han desatado una ola de atentados.
The new measures have sparked off a wave of attacks.
Sus palabras desataron una intensa polémica.
His words unleashed a storm of controversy.
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