ENTANGLE Synonyms: 80 Similar and Opposite Words

entangle

verb

in-ˈtaŋ-gəl

Definition of entangle

as in to knot

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

as in to trap

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

as in to complicate

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 entangle The premise is fantasy, but because that chaos is there, people become entangled with one another, the story twists and winds, and the work as a whole becomes realistic. — Billboard Japan, Billboard, 14 Oct. 2026 Because their co-op is entangled in an unpredictable land-lease situation, the units sell for about half the cost of what’s typical for Brooklyn Heights. — Anne Kadet, Curbed, 14 Oct. 2026 After submerging himself, Jay gets entangled in the tentacles of a giant squid, and that’s when the whale, who feeds on squid, pulls both Jay and the squid into his oversize gaping mouth. — Owen Gleiberman, Variety, 14 Oct. 2026 Over the next two seasons, Batie-Smoose says, disagreements about Fleming’s participation became entangled with her relationship with Kress, her responsibilities on the court and her standing inside the athletic department. — Jackson Thompson Outkick, FOXNews.com, 14 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for entangle

Recent Examples of Synonyms for entangle

Verb

The 6-foot, 190-pound former track sprinter from Maize High School and Wichita headed upfield hoping for a highlight-reel play that might knot the score.

— Gary Bedore, Kansas City Star, 20 Oct. 2026
Austin’s Brandon Vázquez scored for the second time this season, using an assist from Myrto Uzuni, to knot the score in the 66th minute.

— Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 15 Oct. 2026

Definition of knot

Verb

Avoiding it in the first place makes far more sense, even if the K3's additional hardware and energy requirements complicate the question of its overall environmental footprint.

— New Atlas, New Atlas, 17 Oct. 2026
Improved resilience to electronic warfare could further complicate efforts to disrupt these systems.

— Atharva Gosavi, Interesting Engineering, 17 Oct. 2026

Definition of complicate

Verb

The costly dispute instead stretched for almost a decade, becoming tangled up with the War of the Austrian Succession.

— Encyclopedia Britannica, Encyclopedia Britannica, 20 Oct. 2026
Turtlenecks also often tangle my hair into unforgiving knots because of their super-high necklines.

— Caroline Hughes, Travel + Leisure, 17 Oct. 2026

Definition of tangle

Verb

My sister was enmeshed for seventeen years in a cycle, one in which denial plays a huge role.

— Kristen Rogers, CNN Money, 6 Oct. 2026
Revenue was only around $8 billion at the time, and the league was enmeshed in controversy, from Spygate to concussion hearings to a pending lockout.

— Will Leitch, Washington Post, 10 Sep. 2026

Definition of enmesh

Verb

Also intertwined are ancient myths of warring city-states, the raw, moody poetry of John Keats, and the modern battle between a faithless husband and his wife, the poem’s raging speaker.

— Merve Emre, New Yorker, 21 Oct. 2026
As both women seek solace in the island’s haunting legends, their stories intertwine across time, revealing how betrayal and creativity can lead to murder under the Mediterranean sun.

— Rafa Sales Ross, Variety, 20 Oct. 2026

Definition of intertwine

Verb

One fascination of this brave book—brave in its disclosures but more so in its demands, its spiritual rigor, and its ardent intellectualism—lies in watching the eloquent, intelligent sufferer steadily entrapping herself.

— James Wood, New Yorker, 19 Oct. 2026
How else could that show have ended, the way people were being entrapped, and, certainly, with the dubious legality of it all?

— Damon Wise, Deadline, 28 Sep. 2026

Definition of entrap

Verb

With Zelda so close to its movie debut, the game's poised to ensnare old fans and entice new players.

— James Perkins Mastromarino, NPR, 14 Oct. 2026
But the incumbent faces a tough battle because of an affordability crisis and a corruption scandal that ensnared the same justice who led the investigation into Bolsonaro.

— Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 5 Oct. 2026

Definition of ensnare

Browse Nearby Words

entails

entangle

entangled

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“Entangle.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/entangle. Accessed 22 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of entangle

verb

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