entangle

verb

en·​tan·​gle in-ˈtaŋ-gəl 

en-

entangled; entangling; entangles

transitive verb

1

a

: to wrap or twist together : interweave

b

: ensnare

2

a

: to involve in a perplexing or troublesome situation

became entangled in a lawsuit

b

: to make complicated

the story is entangled with legends

entangler

in-ˈtaŋ-g(ə-)lər 

en-

noun

Synonyms

• interlace
• intertwine
• intertwist
• interweave
• knot
• snarl
• tangle

Examples of entangle in a Sentence

in the process of taking down the Christmas tree, we managed to entangle the string of lights into a hopeless mess of wires

the young runaway gradually became entangled in a web of lies

Recent Examples on the Web

The animatic itself showed how Tartakovsky’s personality and preference for strong visual storytelling entangled with these references. —Kambole Campbell, Variety, 13 June 2025

While the ins and outs of the legal case appear to get messier by the day, the latest twist has entangled America's favorite pop star and longtime companion of Lively. —Nicole Fallert, USA Today, 6 June 2025

Non-target species such as dolphins, turtles, rays and even endangered sharks frequently get entangled or killed by these devices. —Melissa Cristina Márquez, Forbes.com, 2 June 2025

Their plot to dig holes in their parents’ love garden entangles them in the tendrils of their own blooming feelings. —Lorraine Berry, Los Angeles Times, 27 May 2025

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, from Anglo-French entangler — more at tangle entry 1

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Rhymes for entangle

• angle
• bangle
• dangle
• jangle
• mangle
• strangle
• tangle
• wrangle
• disentangle
• quadrangle
• triangle
• untangle

Kids Definition

entangle

verb

en·​tan·​gle in-ˈtaŋ-gəl 

1

: to make tangled or confused

2

: to involve in a tangle or a confusing or difficult situation

entanglement

-mənt

noun