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

No one wants to deal with tangled cords or missing adapters mid-vacation, and this best-selling Amazon case keeps everything from chargers to memory cards neatly in place. —Chaise Sanders, Travel + Leisure, 5 Dec. 2025

When cells produce proteins, the amino acids spontaneously fold into tangled and twisted structures, with pockets and protuberances, and sometimes long, trailing tails. —Jeremy Kahn, Fortune, 28 Nov. 2025

Prosecutors later alleged that the pair killed Griffy together — and the investigation that followed the mortician's murder uncovered the tangled personal and financial ties among the three men. —Christina Coulter, PEOPLE, 25 Nov. 2025

Congress may have taken a step toward resolving the shutdown but air travel remains a tangled, slow mess. —Todd Spangler, Freep.com, 10 Nov. 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