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

• 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

Famoplay Hair Tool Travel Bag When packed, hot hair tools can quickly become a tangled mess. —Amelia McBride, Travel + Leisure, 8 Sep. 2025

Directed by German-American filmmaker Sherry Hormann, this sultry Netflix thriller whisks viewers away to sunny Mallorca, Spain, where a seemingly harmless vacation turns into a tangled web of lies and betrayal. —EW.com, 27 Aug. 2025

Had the sickness blazed new pathways and cast light on tangled old ones? —Alexandra Schwartz, New Yorker, 25 Aug. 2025

Without pruning, certain types of hydrangeas produce fewer or smaller flowers, become a tangled mess, or bend under the weight of blooms. —Brandee Gruener, Southern Living, 23 Aug. 2025

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