entanglement

noun

en·​tan·​gle·​ment in-ˈtaŋ-gəl-mənt How to pronounce entanglement (audio)
en-
1
a
: the action of entangling : the state of being entangled
b
: something that entangles, confuses, or ensnares
a project delayed by legal entanglements
2
: the condition of being deeply involved
their entanglement in politics

Examples of entanglement in a Sentence

his life is greatly complicated by his romantic entanglements
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Their fearlessness is grounded in training and in seeing the Middle East as a limited operation in the future, after more than two decades of divisive and protracted entanglements — in Afghanistan, Iraq and beyond — which Trump had campaigned on ending. Adam Carlson, People.com, 25 June 2025 Hers is a direct critique of the banalities of global capitalism and its entanglement with labor and production, told through a body of work that is at once familiar yet strange, moving between the real and the fictional to fascinating and powerful effect. Nargess Banks, Forbes.com, 25 June 2025 For roughly a week, the debate over American involvement in the war between Israel and Iran pitted establishment Republicans and hawks against some of the loudest voices on the right urging Trump to avoid foreign entanglements. Benjamin Siegel, ABC News, 24 June 2025 As civil war looms, their lives intertwine through unlikely alliances and emotional entanglements, until war and betrayal force difficult choices. Melanie Goodfellow, Deadline, 23 June 2025 See All Example Sentences for entanglement

Word History

First Known Use

1535, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of entanglement was in 1535

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Cite this Entry

“Entanglement.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/entanglement. Accessed 7 Jul. 2025.

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