entangle

1 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 interlace, intertwine, intertwist, interweave, knot, snarl, tangle Related Words jumble, scrabble, scramble; braid, enlace, entwine, entwist, inweave, plait, twine, weave, wind, wreathe, writhe Near Antonyms unknot, unravel, unscramble; unweave Antonyms disentangle, unsnarl, untangle, untwine, untwist

2 to catch or hold as if in a net the young runaway gradually became entangled in a web of lies Synonyms catch up, enmesh (also immesh), ensnare, ensnarl, entoil, entrap, mesh, net, snare, tangle, trap Related Words bag, birdlime, capture, collar; embroil, implicate, involve, mire Near Antonyms detach, disengage, extricate; clear, free, liberate Antonyms disentangle, untangle

3 to make complex or difficult the history of Alexander the Great is entangled by variant accounts of his exploits Synonyms complex, complexify, embarrass, complicate, perplex, sophisticateRelated Words develop, elaborate, expand; intensify, magnify; confound, confuse, mess (up), mix (up), muddle; snarl, tangleNear Antonyms abbreviate, cut, shorten; ease, facilitate; disentangle, straighten (out), unravel, untangle; oversimplifyAntonyms simplify, streamline