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
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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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
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
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, 7 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
Quanta Magazine, 3 June 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
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, 7 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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for entangling
Verb
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Its rear zipper pocket is a great way to keep charging cords from tangling around other items.—
Sian Babish,
PEOPLE,
18 June 2026
-
Recently, researchers in Germany developed a chain-launching drone interceptor that disables UAVs by tangling their spinning rotors midair.—
Jijo Malayil,
Interesting Engineering,
8 May 2026
Verb
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As human activities such as fossil-fuel burning release heat-trapping gases into the atmosphere, air in the Midwest is becoming more saturated with humidity, a key ingredient of strong thunderstorms that can produce tornadoes.—
Adriana Pérez,
Chicago Tribune,
19 June 2026
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The funds would come from the Commodity Credit Corporation, a funding initiative through the federal agency, and would go toward tracing, surveying and trapping response programs for the next three years.—
Lizzie Kane
June 18,
Sacbee.com,
18 June 2026
Verb
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Sarandon brings a welcome unpredictability to Sylvia, complicating a character who might otherwise have curdled into cliche.—
Natalia Winkelman,
Variety,
16 June 2026
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That period was marred by thousands of disappearances and deaths, shaping Lebanese distrust and complicating feelings toward Syria.—
Zeena Saifi,
CNN Money,
16 June 2026
Verb
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Seated cross-legged on the floor, the artisans work with such speed that their fingers blur, selecting, stretching and knotting individual strands into an intricate mesh.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
9 June 2026
-
Rybakina staged a comeback midway through the third set, knotting the score at 4-4 from 3-0 down.—
Matthew Futterman,
New York Times,
27 May 2026
Verb
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And in that quest for unbridled growth, the AI industry has wrested ungodly amounts of capital from investors all looking for the next big thing, ensnaring the entire economy.—
Matteo Wong,
The Atlantic,
26 Mar. 2026
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The upcoming April 7 vote over the renewal of Kansas City’s 1% earnings tax will mark one of the biggest tests of whether that opposition could risk ensnaring a critical resource for the city.—
Kacen Bayless,
Kansas City Star,
25 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Directed by Alice Winocour, the film follows an American filmmaker working during Paris Fashion Week who receives a life-altering breast cancer diagnosis, intertwining her story with those of a South Sudanese model and a makeup artist navigating their own pressures within the industry.—
Daisy Maldonado,
InStyle,
17 June 2026
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Boston is a city of intertwining neighborhoods, where great restaurants aren’t exclusively the domain of tasting menus and white tablecloths.—
Tanya Edwards,
Bon Appetit Magazine,
16 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Entangling.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/entangling. Accessed 25 Jun. 2026.
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