tangled; tangling
ˈtaŋ-g(ə-)liŋ 
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
: a large seaweed
Synonyms
Verb
Noun (2)
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
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
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
See all Example Sentences for tangle 
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
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
See all Example Sentences for tangle
Dictionary Entries Near tangle
Cite this Entry
“Tangle.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/tangle. Accessed 22 Nov. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
tangle
2 of 2 noun1
: 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
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share