tangled

1 of 2

adjective

tan·​gled ˈtaŋ-gəld 

1

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

2

: very involved : exceedingly complex

tangled

2 of 2

past tense and past participle of tangle entry 1

Synonyms of tangled

Adjective

• complicated
• intricate
• complicate
• complex

Examples of tangled in a Sentence

Adjective

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

Adjective

Aldabra’s landscape consists of sharp coral and thick, tangled vegetation. — Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 10 Oct. 2026

Geese did something similar with last year’s Getting Killed, their own neutron star of an album, gobbling up the tangled lineages of rock, punk, and drone music in New York City with the ravenous appetites of kids weaned on the infinite scroll. — Walden Green, Pitchfork, 9 Oct. 2026

Originally hailed as her hero, when the grotesque truth comes out about Rodney's role in the break-in, a police investigation reveals a tangled web of lies. — K. Thor Jensen, PC Magazine, 9 Oct. 2026

Her fascinating, playful quest involves the tangled background of her father, Henry Stephen. — Sheldon Pearce, New Yorker, 25 Sep. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

Adjective

1596, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for tangled

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