1
as in tangled
to twist together into a usually confused mass
in the process of taking down the Christmas tree, we managed to entangle the string of lights into a hopeless mess of wires
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in trapped
to catch or hold as if in a net
the young runaway gradually became entangled in a web of lies
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in complicated
to make complex or difficult
the history of Alexander the Great is entangled by variant accounts of his exploits
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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.
Recent Examples of entangled
The article inside is a strained and mincing document filled with speculation that gay-male social life is entangled with the power structure of Silicon Valley.
—
Spencer Kornhaber, The Atlantic, 27 Mar. 2026
Saskia relives the life of Anisa, a Javanese woman in 1942 – entangled in a love triangle with plantation owner Jan Stokman and his wife, Marie.
—Leo Barraclough, Variety, 26 Mar. 2026
Backstreet Boys member Brian Littrell — who has been entangled in multiple legal battles regarding trespassers targeting his private beachfront property in Florida over the past year — continues to receive disturbing threats from other members of the community against him and his family.
—Christina Dugan Ramirez , Larry Fink, FOXNews.com, 24 Mar. 2026
The Premier League is about to pick up after both Arsenal and City were entangled in the diversions of domestic and European cup competitions since the last round of title punches were thrown just over a week ago.
—Amy Lawrence, New York Times, 14 Mar. 2026
Khimberly’s death brings additional scrutiny to LAUSD at a time when the district is already entangled in other controversies.
—Ruben Vives, Los Angeles Times, 12 Mar. 2026
Set in 1983 Sudan, as Sharia Law takes hold, a doctor, a translator and an American reporter are entangled in love and resistance amid political upheaval.
—Melanie Goodfellow, Deadline, 12 Mar. 2026
One neighbor’s insulation had become entangled in the trees.
—Isabel Yip, NBC news, 7 Mar. 2026
In Iran, as in Afghanistan, religious authority and political authority are deeply entangled, and unless democracy is cultivated within, and unless a robust pluralistic culture evolves from within, outside intervention would not help much.
—Debidatta A. Mahapatra, The Orlando Sentinel, 7 Mar. 2026
Spencer Kornhaber, The Atlantic, 27 Mar. 2026
Saskia relives the life of Anisa, a Javanese woman in 1942 – entangled in a love triangle with plantation owner Jan Stokman and his wife, Marie.
—Leo Barraclough, Variety, 26 Mar. 2026
Backstreet Boys member Brian Littrell — who has been entangled in multiple legal battles regarding trespassers targeting his private beachfront property in Florida over the past year — continues to receive disturbing threats from other members of the community against him and his family.
—Christina Dugan Ramirez , Larry Fink, FOXNews.com, 24 Mar. 2026
The Premier League is about to pick up after both Arsenal and City were entangled in the diversions of domestic and European cup competitions since the last round of title punches were thrown just over a week ago.
—Amy Lawrence, New York Times, 14 Mar. 2026
Khimberly’s death brings additional scrutiny to LAUSD at a time when the district is already entangled in other controversies.
—Ruben Vives, Los Angeles Times, 12 Mar. 2026
Set in 1983 Sudan, as Sharia Law takes hold, a doctor, a translator and an American reporter are entangled in love and resistance amid political upheaval.
—Melanie Goodfellow, Deadline, 12 Mar. 2026
One neighbor’s insulation had become entangled in the trees.
—Isabel Yip, NBC news, 7 Mar. 2026
In Iran, as in Afghanistan, religious authority and political authority are deeply entangled, and unless democracy is cultivated within, and unless a robust pluralistic culture evolves from within, outside intervention would not help much.
—Debidatta A. Mahapatra, The Orlando Sentinel, 7 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for entangled
Verb
-
Pet owners will love the hair screw tool, which expertly removes even long hair from upholstery without getting tangled.—
BestReviews,
Mercury News,
29 Mar. 2026
-
The barrier was a system so centralized, bureaucrats and procedural that even a straightforward literacy effort became tangled in red tape.—
Daniel L Gordon,
Daily News,
29 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
If trapped by moving water, seek the highest possible point and contact emergency services by calling 911.—
KANSAS CITY STAR WEATHER BOT,
Kansas City Star,
1 Apr. 2026
-
Wenrick did not answer questions about whether or not Valencia was trapped inside.—
Nicole Comstock,
CBS News,
31 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Israel’s assassination campaign sometimes complicated Chalker’s attempts to recruit defectors.—
David D. Kirkpatrick,
New Yorker,
30 Mar. 2026
-
That’s because the EV ownership affordability equation is complicated — starting with the price of the car itself.—
Personal Finance Columnist,
San Francisco Chronicle,
29 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Lisa Rae Moss — serving a life sentence for her involvement in the 1990 murder of her husband, Mike Moss — sat in the witness box in a courtroom in Seminole, Oklahoma, on a frigid January morning in 2025, her hands knotted in her lap.—
Pamela Colloff,
ProPublica,
24 Mar. 2026
-
Cincinnati knotted the score again in the 52nd minute on Ayoub Jabbari's first career goal in his 10th appearance.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
22 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
He got promoted three years later, to head coach, when the head coach who hired him got enmeshed in a scandal.—
Scott Fowler,
Charlotte Observer,
25 Mar. 2026
-
But without early shatterless mutations, our species would never have enmeshed its fate so deeply with grasses.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
25 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
The Europeans are also continuing to argue that the war in Ukraine, the largest land war in Europe since World War II, is intertwined with the war in Iran due to the cooperation between Russia and Iran.—
Margaret Brennan,
CBS News,
28 Mar. 2026
-
Singing has been intertwined with resistance efforts for all of human history.—
Cate Charron,
IndyStar,
28 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Entangled.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/entangled. Accessed 1 Apr. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
