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
Paige Williams, The New Yorker, 17 June 2024
Her cases took years to wind through the courts, in part because she was often tangled up in other cases or incarcerated in other jurisdictions.
—Jon Schuppe, NBC News, 14 June 2024
Brenda Goodman, CNN, 1 July 2024
Edmonton’s Evan Bouchard moved in for a shot that didn’t make it through a tangle of bodies.
—Dave Hyde, Sun Sentinel, 25 June 2024
See all Example Sentences for tangle 
Verb
Fishermen’s prospects are further hampered by efforts to erect windmill farms and to save the planet’s last three hundred and sixty or so North Atlantic right whales, which can get tangled in fishing ropes.
—Paige Williams, The New Yorker, 17 June 2024
Her cases took years to wind through the courts, in part because she was often tangled up in other cases or incarcerated in other jurisdictions.
—Jon Schuppe, NBC News, 14 June 2024
Noun
Together with another protein, tau, which makes fibrous tangles that block the communication of nerve cells, they are considered a hallmark of Alzheimer’s disease.
—Brenda Goodman, CNN, 1 July 2024
Edmonton’s Evan Bouchard moved in for a shot that didn’t make it through a tangle of bodies.
—Dave Hyde, Sun Sentinel, 25 June 2024
See all Example Sentences for tangle
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'tangle.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near tangle
Cite this Entry
“Tangle.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/tangle. Accessed 15 Jul. 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
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