Synonyms of tangle

tangle 1 of 2

noun

as in confusion

a state of mental uncertainty

my mind's been in a tangle ever since I learned some disturbing information about an online acquaintance

Synonyms & Similar Words

• confusion
• fog
• maze
• perplexity
• bewilderment
• befuddlement
• bafflement
• mystification
• muddle
• discombobulation
• bamboozlement
• puzzlement
• distraction
• bemusement
• distress
• discomfort
• head-scratching
• confusedness
• whirl
• embarrassment
• bewilderedness
• dismay
• discomfiture
• mortification
• agitation
• perturbation
• turmoil
• commotion
• upset
• disturbance
• chagrin
• flurry
• abashment
• disquiet
• disconcertment
• fluster
• dither
• fuss
• bother
• stew

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• conviction
• certainty
• confidence
• assurance
• certitude
• sureness
• positiveness

tangle

2 of 2

verb

ˈtaŋ-gəl 

1

as in to trap

to catch or hold as if in a net

was at last tangled in the web of lies that he had told to everyone

Synonyms & Similar Words

• trap
• enmesh
• mesh
• entangle
• ensnare
• entrap
• net
• snare
• involve
• capture
• catch up
• ensnarl
• entoil
• implicate
• embroil
• collar
• mire
• birdlime
• bag

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• disentangle
• untangle
• extricate
• detach
• disengage
• free
• clear
• liberate

2

as in to knot

to twist together into a usually confused mass

that darn cat tangled the yarn I was trying to knit with

Synonyms & Similar Words

• knot
• snarl
• jumble
• intertwine
• weave
• entangle
• interweave
• interlace
• braid
• scramble
• twine
• intertwist
• entwine
• plait
• wind
• scrabble
• writhe
• enlace
• wreathe
• entwist
• inweave

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• untangle
• disentangle
• untwist
• unsnarl
• unravel
• unknot
• unscramble
• untwine
• unweave

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of tangle

Noun

The delicately striated crystal floated up from its tangle of purple moss, rotating slowly before Rey snapped her full concentration toward it, holding it firmly in the air and between her two outstretched hands. — Brian Truitt, USA Today, 27 July 2026

Advertisement At the very center of its tangle of experiences and identities, objectives and conflicts, is Alice. — Judy Berman, Time, 27 July 2026

Verb

When the diver surfaced, he was tangled in both the air hose and the anchor line. — Grethel Aguila, Miami Herald, 6 Aug. 2026

Rolling out of the pocket and surveying the field for receivers, Marr got tangled up by her own ankles. — Bennett Durando, Denver Post, 5 Aug. 2026