tangle

1 of 3

verb

tan·​gle ˈtaŋ-gəl 

tangled; tangling ˈtaŋ-g(ə-)liŋ 

transitive verb

1

: to unite or knit together in intricate confusion

2

: to involve so as to hamper, obstruct, or embarrass

3

: to seize and hold in or as if in a snare : entrap

intransitive verb

1

: to become entangled

2

: to interact in a contentious or conflicting way

tangle

2 of 3

noun (1)

1

: a matted, twisted mass : snarl

2

a

: a complicated or confused state or condition

b

: a state of perplexity or complete bewilderment

3

: a serious altercation : dispute

4

: neurofibrillary tangle

tangle

3 of 3

noun (2)

: a large seaweed

Synonyms

Verb

• catch up
• enmesh
• immesh
• ensnare
• ensnarl
• entangle
• entoil
• entrap
• mesh
• net
• snare
• trap

Noun (2)

• bafflement
• bamboozlement
• befuddlement
• bemusement
• bewilderedness
• bewilderment
• confusedness
• confusion
• discombobulation
• distraction
• fog
• head-scratching
• maze [chiefly dialect]
• muddle
• mystification
• perplexity
• puzzlement
• whirl

Examples of tangle in a Sentence

Verb

This fishing line tangles easily.

was at last tangled in the web of lies that he had told to everyone

Noun (2)

my mind's been in a tangle ever since I learned some disturbing information about an online acquaintance

Recent Examples on the Web

Verb

Today, efforts to curb their population and protect native wildlife are tangled in this complex legacy. —The Editors, JSTOR Daily, 5 Nov. 2024

Just over a kilometre away, Bound and his team found the wreck mounds of three more ships—another Dutch warship, the Middelburg, and two Portuguese vessels, the São Salvador and Dom Duarte de Guerra’s Galleon—which had become tangled together and sunk in flames. —Sam Knight, The New Yorker, 4 Nov. 2024

Noun

Six weeks later, what began as a missing persons case became a murder mystery, as Karen's body was found hidden beneath a tangle of vines by a caretaker near Bledsoe Cemetery in Dyer County. —Gemma Schneider, ABC News, 1 Nov. 2024

There’s also a big tangle of conflicting feelings and emotional contexts at play here. —Ben Rosenstock, Vulture, 16 Oct. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Verb

Middle English tanglen, tagilen, probably short for entanglen, from Anglo-French entagler, entangler to prosecute (for), implicate

Noun (2)

of Scandinavian origin; akin to Old Norse thǫngull tangle, thang seaweed

First Known Use

Verb

14th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 2

Noun (1)

1615, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Noun (2)

1536, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing tangle

• neurofibrillary tangle
• tangle with

Kids Definition

tangle

1 of 2 verb

tan·​gle ˈtaŋ-gəl 

tangled; tangling -g(ə-)liŋ 

1

: to make or become involved so as to complicate or confuse : be or become entangled

2

: to twist or become twisted together into a mass hard to straighten out again

tangle

2 of 2 noun

1

: a tangled twisted mass (as of vines or hairs) confusedly woven together : snarl

2

: a complicated or confused state or condition

Medical Definition

tangle

noun

tan·​gle ˈtaŋ-gəl 

: neurofibrillary tangle