entangle

verb

en·​tan·​gle in-ˈtaŋ-gəl How to pronounce entangle (audio)
en-
entangled; entangling; entangles

transitive verb

1
a
: to wrap or twist together : interweave
b
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 noun

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 That puts them at the level of Scorsese, an artist who now fails to examine the complications in his head, issues that entangle his work. Armond White, National Review, 8 Nov. 2023 Jose Luis Magana—AP Google on Monday will try to protect a lucrative piece of its internet empire at the same time it’s still entangled in the biggest U.S. antitrust trial in a quarter century. Michael Liedtke, Fortune, 6 Nov. 2023 The bats got entangled in some of the women's hair, some were struck by the creatures and others were bitten, the complaint said. Marlene Lenthang, NBC News, 31 Oct. 2023 The best way for Washington to contend with this challenge is to keep China entangled in the international system while nurturing American alliances and bolstering the U.S. technological edge. Ryan Hass, Foreign Affairs, 24 Oct. 2023 Animal care experts with the Nebraska Wildlife Rehab in Omaha have observed juvenile squirrels getting entangled in fake spider webs when parent squirrels use the decorative material in burrows for winter nesting, according to Schiltz. Cortney Moore, Fox News, 14 Sep. 2023 Monica Rambeau as the trio need to figure out why their powers are entangled. James Grebey, Vulture, 10 Nov. 2023 But this is Suffolk County, and so that same day, Steve Bellone, whose term as county executive ends this year and whose legacy will be forever entangled with the Burke-Spota era, held his own news conference. Robert Kolker, New York Times, 19 Oct. 2023 Dallas was born early with intestinal malrotation, a rare condition in which an infant is born with their intestines entangled. Adam England, Peoplemag, 10 Oct. 2023 See More

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'entangle.' 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

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

First Known Use

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

Time Traveler
The first known use of entangle was in the 15th century

Dictionary Entries Near entangle

Cite this Entry

“Entangle.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/entangle. Accessed 3 Dec. 2023.

Kids Definition

entangle

verb
en·​tan·​gle in-ˈtaŋ-gəl How to pronounce entangle (audio)
1
: to make tangled or confused
2
: to involve in a tangle or a confusing or difficult situation
entanglement
-mənt
noun

More from Merriam-Webster on entangle

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