tangle

1 of 3

verb

tan·​gle ˈtaŋ-gəl How to pronounce tangle (audio)
tangled; tangling ˈtaŋ-g(ə-)liŋ How to pronounce tangle (audio)

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

tangle

3 of 3

noun (2)

: a large seaweed

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
Recent Examples on the Web
Verb
Race marshal Warren Palfrey convened a three-person panel of race officials to investigate the circumstances surrounding the death of the moose, which became tangled up with Seavey and his dog team early Monday, about 12 hours after the dayslong race officially started. CBS News, 7 Mar. 2024 It’s tangled and worn down across all 10 songs on the album but strong enough not to snap. Larisha Paul, Rolling Stone, 1 Mar. 2024 In the game’s final seconds, Miles Bridges and Lester Quinones got tangled up under the Hornets’ basket, leading to a dust-up on the court. Danny Emerman, The Mercury News, 24 Feb. 2024 Some hair got tangled in the rollers but came out with a tool easily. Madison Yauger, Peoplemag, 1 Mar. 2024 Admirers of Assayas hoping for a return to form after 2019’s frustratingly choppy and tangled spy thriller, Wasp Network, will have to keep waiting. David Rooney, The Hollywood Reporter, 17 Feb. 2024 With Duncan Robinson trying to defend Brown in the post, Robinson was called for a foul after getting tangled up with Brown. Anthony Chiang, Miami Herald, 11 Feb. 2024 Hurt feelings can enter the mix without warning, tangling everyone’s most complex emotions. Tarot.com, Baltimore Sun, 31 Jan. 2024 What Could Be Better When storing the broom and dustpan nested, some of the bristles caught and tangled in the comb component. Carrie Honaker, Southern Living, 26 Jan. 2024
Noun
The verdict will have direct implications for a tangle of interlocking cases, which will determine whether Wright can prevent developers from working on Bitcoin without his permission and dictate the terms under which the Bitcoin system can be used. Joel Khalili, WIRED, 2 Feb. 2024 That might be partly due to the unique tangles of the desert environment. The Arizona Republic, 24 Jan. 2024 At Tradewinds Beach Resort, quaint one-bedroom cottages are swathed in colorful hues and covered in tangles of bright bougainvillea. Angela Caraway-Carlton, Miami Herald, 22 Feb. 2024 The property is bound by an eye care company to the south, a residential neighborhood to the east, and a tangle of roads to the north and west. Jaime Moore-Carrillo, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 22 Feb. 2024 Crispy, smoky sprouts contrast beautifully with sweet tangles of jammy caramelized onions. The Indianapolis Star, 19 Feb. 2024 Rather than a tangle of systemic forces privileging and oppressing whole categories of person, Curb throws open the gates of a global asylum run by 8 billion maniacs, all weaponizing their differences against one another. TIME, 2 Feb. 2024 Costumes and scenery — along the back of the stage appears to be a tangle of rocks and wire, like a military fortification — are by Moritz Junge. Gia Kourlas, New York Times, 16 Feb. 2024 These best-sellers easily pass through tangles without tugging at fur and cause no discomfort, and when I’m done, the hair peels off pretty easily. Toni Sutton, Peoplemag, 10 Feb. 2024

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.

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

Time Traveler
The first known use of tangle was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near tangle

Cite this Entry

“Tangle.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/tangle. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

tangle

1 of 2 verb
tan·​gle ˈtaŋ-gəl How to pronounce tangle (audio)
tangled; tangling -g(ə-)liŋ How to pronounce tangle (audio)
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 How to pronounce tangle (audio)

More from Merriam-Webster on tangle

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