tangled

adjective

tan·​gled ˈtaŋ-gəld 

1

: existing in or giving the appearance of a state of utter disorder

2

: very involved : exceedingly complex

Synonyms of tangled

• complicated
• intricate
• complicate
• complex

Examples of tangled in a Sentence

it helps to have a lawyer to sort out the tangled contracts that home buyers typically have to contend with

Recent Examples on the Web

Letting your jewelry turn into a tangled mess of necklaces, earrings, and rings. — Izzy Baskette, PEOPLE, 25 June 2026

The doublet pattern took place on a tangled system of faults near San Felipe, Venezuela. — Evan Bush, NBC news, 25 June 2026

The tangled search included multiple standoffs, a house set ablaze and an apparent communication disconnect between local police and the nation’s top law enforcement official. — Kacen Bayless, Kansas City Star, 24 June 2026

This tangled relationship between Lestat and Armand, and all the guilt Lestat carries from it, provides a major breakthrough for Molloy’s documentary, and the journalist reacts with giddy, off-putting glee. — Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 23 June 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1596, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for tangled

• angled
• dangled
• fangled
• jangled
• mangled
• spangled
• strangled
• wrangled
• disentangled
• entangled
• newfangled
• untangled