1
as in knots
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 traps
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 complicates
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 entangles
This choice entangles Iris with Geoff and his father, a kind of archivist for a shadowy secret society, and a hapless man.
—
John Warner, Chicago Tribune, 25 Apr. 2026
The net opens mid-air, entangles the drone and deploys a parachute so everything comes down safely.
—Jan Wagner, San Diego Union-Tribune, 28 Feb. 2026
But when a tree entangles with your plumbing, feelings can change.
—Brandee Gruener, Southern Living, 28 Feb. 2026
The darkly comic story follows Shy and Lola, two very different women who are forced to become allies when a murder entangles them in the criminal underworld operating in Shy’s small coastal town in the North of England.
—Lily Ford, HollywoodReporter, 23 Feb. 2026
That one from Baby Reindeer maker Clerkenwell Films follows two women forced to become allies when a murder entangles them in the criminal underworld operating in Shy’s small coastal town in the North of England.
—Max Goldbart, Deadline, 23 Feb. 2026
The offering further entangles Musk’s various business ventures.
—Bloomberg Wire, Dallas Morning News, 2 Feb. 2026
Initially dismissed as an accident, Charles, Oliver and Mabel dive headfirst into the investigation, uncovering a sprawling conspiracy that stretches beyond the building’s walls and entangles New York’s old mob families with its newest billionaires.
—Samantha Stutsman, PEOPLE, 9 Sep. 2025
Recognize how your energy entangles with your team, and create field conditions for inevitable success.
—Jodie Cook, Forbes.com, 8 Sep. 2025
John Warner, Chicago Tribune, 25 Apr. 2026
The net opens mid-air, entangles the drone and deploys a parachute so everything comes down safely.
—Jan Wagner, San Diego Union-Tribune, 28 Feb. 2026
But when a tree entangles with your plumbing, feelings can change.
—Brandee Gruener, Southern Living, 28 Feb. 2026
The darkly comic story follows Shy and Lola, two very different women who are forced to become allies when a murder entangles them in the criminal underworld operating in Shy’s small coastal town in the North of England.
—Lily Ford, HollywoodReporter, 23 Feb. 2026
That one from Baby Reindeer maker Clerkenwell Films follows two women forced to become allies when a murder entangles them in the criminal underworld operating in Shy’s small coastal town in the North of England.
—Max Goldbart, Deadline, 23 Feb. 2026
The offering further entangles Musk’s various business ventures.
—Bloomberg Wire, Dallas Morning News, 2 Feb. 2026
Initially dismissed as an accident, Charles, Oliver and Mabel dive headfirst into the investigation, uncovering a sprawling conspiracy that stretches beyond the building’s walls and entangles New York’s old mob families with its newest billionaires.
—Samantha Stutsman, PEOPLE, 9 Sep. 2025
Recognize how your energy entangles with your team, and create field conditions for inevitable success.
—Jodie Cook, Forbes.com, 8 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for entangles
Verb
-
No matter how many knots a lawyer ties themselves in to get there, legality is not legitimacy.—
Jon Duffy,
Mercury News,
29 Nov. 2025
-
Stories like these usually lurch from one contrivance and complication to the next, but Chad Powers knots itself into a genuinely thorny conflict by the finale.—
Nicholas Quah,
Vulture,
29 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Now researchers have identified a new material within trinitite called a clathrate—a cagelike chemical lattice that traps other atoms inside it.—
Clara Moskowitz,
Scientific American,
11 May 2026
-
Their daughter, Rose, traps them in her dolls.—
George Yang,
PC Magazine,
1 May 2026
Verb
-
What further complicates the picture is a seemingly relentless appetite for trading, which directly benefits a small corner of the financial sector.—
Josh Brown,Sean Russo,
CNBC,
11 May 2026
-
All this complicates a tug toward pure nostalgia.—
Brittany Allen,
Literary Hub,
11 May 2026
Verb
-
Wire pin or slicker brushes work best for dogs with long hair that tangles easily.—
BestReviews,
Mercury News,
7 Nov. 2025
Verb
-
Crude prices have spiked to their highest levels in at least 14 years as the war, now in its second week, ensnares countries and places that are critical to the production and movement of oil and gas from the Persian Gulf.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
9 Mar. 2026
-
Oil prices have surged as the war, now in its second week, ensnares countries and infrastructure critical to the production and movement of oil and gas.—
Elaine Kurtenbach,
Chicago Tribune,
8 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
The flowers’ blue color intensifies with the summer sun.—
Kim Toscano,
Southern Living,
10 May 2026
-
Newsom and other supporters have said the tunnel would protect the state’s water system as climate change intensifies severe droughts and deluges.—
Ian James,
Los Angeles Times,
8 May 2026
Verb
-
As their connection grows, the narrative intertwines Tova’s grief with a young man’s search for his origins and a mystery that gradually links their lives.—
Samantha Agate,
Miami Herald,
27 Apr. 2026
-
The family story that intertwines for centuries with this land, this place, is researched and discovered in the writing, and so not lost, yet the land itself is largely lost, to industry, exploitation, greed.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
21 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
This superb thriller about an obsessed fan (Kathy Bates) who rescues, and then entraps, a best-selling author (James Caan) still stands as an edge-of-your-seat experience.—
Julie Hinds,
Freep.com,
15 Dec. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Entangles.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/entangles. Accessed 14 May. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
