embroil

1 of 2

verb

em·​broil im-ˈbrȯi(-ə)l 

embroiled; embroiling; embroils

transitive verb

1

: to throw into disorder or confusion

2

: to involve in conflict or difficulties

embroiled in controversy

embroilment

im-ˈbrȯi(-ə)l-mənt 

noun

embroilment

2 of 2

noun

em·​broil·​ment -ȯi(ə)lmənt 

plural -s

1

: the act of embroiling or state of being embroiled

often : uproar, commotion, quarrel

an embroilment that led to a crowded police court the next morning

2

: entanglement, perplexity, involvement

trying to avoid embroilment in continental quarrels

Synonyms of embroil

Verb

• tangle
• trap
• broil
• bog (down)
• enmesh

Examples of embroil in a Sentence

Verb

His stand on this issue has embroiled him in controversy.

The new drug has been embroiled in controversy.

They were embroiled in a complicated lawsuit.

Recent Examples on the Web

Verb

Turns out Ed Sheeran, whose Loop tour became embroiled in controversy this month, won’t perform at billionaire Robert Kraft’s Gillette Stadium this weekend, either. — Alexandra Del Rosario, Los Angeles Times, 25 Sep. 2026

Diamantis isn’t the first Connecticut resident with Greek citizenship to become embroiled in a federal prosecution and extradition controversy. — Edmund H. Mahony, Hartford Courant, 23 Sep. 2026

Starring Dominique Toney and Ignacyo Matynia, the series follows a retired Army First Sergeant who becomes embroiled in a conspiracy threatening American democracy. — Max Goldbart, Deadline, 23 Sep. 2026

Meanwhile, the Tata Group, one of India's leading corporate houses, is embroiled in a boardroom battle that could affect its ability to invest in building the country's first semiconductor fabrication plant. — Priyanka Salve, CNBC, 22 Sep. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Verb

French embrouiller, from Middle French, from en- + brouiller to jumble, from Old French brooilier, from Vulgar Latin *brodiculare — more at broil

Noun

French embrouillement, from embrouiller + -ment

First Known Use

Verb

1603, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for embroil

• airfoil
• benzoyl
• despoil
• etoile
• gargoyle
• recoil
• subsoil
• tinfoil
• topsoil
• trefoil
• turmoil
• aerofoil

Kids Definition

embroil

verb

em·​broil im-ˈbrȯi(ə)l 

1

: to throw into disorder or confusion

2

: to involve in conflict or difficulties

embroiled in a lawsuit

embroilment

-mənt 

noun