Synonyms of entangling

entangling

verb

present participle of entangle

1

as in tangling

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

• tangling
• knotting
• intertwining
• snarling
• weaving
• jumbling
• interlacing
• interweaving
• braiding
• scrambling
• intertwisting
• twining
• winding
• entwining
• scrabbling
• writhing
• plaiting
• enlacing
• inweaving
• entwisting
• wreathing

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• disentangling
• untangling
• untwisting
• unraveling
• unknotting
• untwining
• unscrambling
• unsnarling
• unweaving

2

as in trapping

to catch or hold as if in a net

the young runaway gradually became entangled in a web of lies

Synonyms & Similar Words

• tangling
• trapping
• ensnaring
• entrapping
• enmeshing
• snaring
• involving
• meshing
• netting
• capturing
• entoiling
• ensnarling
• implicating
• catching up
• embroiling
• collaring
• miring
• bagging
• birdliming

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• detaching
• disentangling
• disengaging
• untangling
• freeing
• clearing
• extricating
• liberating

3

as in complicating

to make complex or difficult

the history of Alexander the Great is entangled by variant accounts of his exploits

Synonyms & Similar Words

• complicating
• intensifying
• complexing
• embarrassing
• perplexing
• complexifying
• expanding
• confusing
• sophisticating
• elaborating
• developing
• tangling
• snarling
• muddling
• mixing (up)
• magnifying
• confounding
• messing (up)

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• simplifying
• streamlining
• cutting
• facilitating
• shortening
• easing
• unraveling
• straightening (out)
• abbreviating
• disentangling
• untangling
• oversimplifying

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of entangling

When that quantum task involved entangling qubits, quantum computers had an advantage over classical computers, as the classical program took ages to run. — Quanta Magazine, 3 June 2026

Impulsive action bypasses deliberation, ignores consequences and risks entangling our nation in conflicts without an exit strategy. — Mercury News & East Bay Times Editorial Boards, Mercury News, 23 May 2026

The rest — bottles, cups, ties, get washed into our oceans, entangling sea birds and when they get pulverized into microplastics, they’re eaten by sea turtles who often die. — Steve Scauzillo, Daily News, 18 May 2026

The causes were entangling secret alliances, the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand and the ensuing diplomatic brinksmanship. — Voice Of The People, New York Daily News, 18 Mar. 2026

Last year’s dead leaves and branches, still not cleared away, lay on the ground, entangling our feet. — Literary Hub, 13 Feb. 2026

Yet the same fisheries that drive economic value also generate high levels of bycatch, entangling marine mammals, seabirds, sea turtles, and sharks in their operations. — Melissa Cristina Márquez, Forbes.com, 21 Jan. 2026

The Clear Creek County Sheriff's Office is set to begin training deputies on the Grappler system, a pursuit intervention device that disables a suspect's vehicle by entangling its tires rather than forcing a crash. — Spencer Wilson, CBS News, 21 Jan. 2026

Brasília has pursued a strategy of diversifying partnerships to preserve its autonomy—maintaining cordial ties with all great powers while entangling with none. — Oliver Stuenkel, Time, 9 Jan. 2026