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
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of tangle
David Goldman, CNN Money, 17 Oct. 2025
The protagonist’s diabolical plot is fuelled by an unmanageable tangle of emotions, including raging jealousy, mercenary self-interest, and resentment of Eileen’s professional and intellectual accomplishments, which sparks shame at her own cosseted frivolity.
—Richard Brody, New Yorker, 17 Oct. 2025
Daley Quinn, Southern Living, 21 Oct. 2025
Schmitz got tangled in the rope and broke his back, while Wright broke his neck and died moments later.
—Maya Silver, Outside, 20 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for tangle
Noun
The stock market is sending mixed signals at the moment, caught in a tangle of overlapping anxieties.
—David Goldman, CNN Money, 17 Oct. 2025
The protagonist’s diabolical plot is fuelled by an unmanageable tangle of emotions, including raging jealousy, mercenary self-interest, and resentment of Eileen’s professional and intellectual accomplishments, which sparks shame at her own cosseted frivolity.
—Richard Brody, New Yorker, 17 Oct. 2025
Verb
This will help prevent tangling and stretching during the wash cycle.
—Daley Quinn, Southern Living, 21 Oct. 2025
Schmitz got tangled in the rope and broke his back, while Wright broke his neck and died moments later.
—Maya Silver, Outside, 20 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for tangle
Recent Examples of Synonyms for tangle
Noun
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The abrupt departure stunned the crowd, prompting confusion both in the audience and among his bandmates.—
Jessica Lynch,
Billboard,
25 Oct. 2025
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Teddy’s reasoning is a confusion of save-the-world alarmism, garden-variety derangement, unhealed trauma, and single-minded revenge.—
Justin Chang,
New Yorker,
24 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Executives praised the film, which follows the Palestine Red Crescent Society’s failed attempt to save Hind, a Palestinian child who was killed in Gaza in 2024 after being trapped in a car under Israeli fire.—
Rebecca Keegan,
NBC news,
23 Oct. 2025
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Even in the 19th century, the novel was considered a dangerous medium, one that would trap people—especially impressionable young women—in the thrall of isolation and fantasy.—
Ian Bogost,
The Atlantic,
23 Oct. 2025
Verb
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But good fortune smiled a few minutes later to knot the game at 2-2.—
Jess Myers,
Twin Cities,
29 Oct. 2025
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The Huskies, who also had the final shot in the first three OTs, nearly ended it in the fifth extra period, but Jeff Adrien’s desperation baseline putback clanged off the rim, keeping the game knotted at 110.—
The Athletic Staff,
New York Times,
28 Oct. 2025
Noun
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Neptune retrograde in Pisces, on the other hand, dissolves the fog of illusion, which also serves as an invitation to confront an emotional truth with clarity and compassion.—
Valerie Mesa,
PEOPLE,
29 Oct. 2025
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In extremely dense fog where visibility is near zero, the best course of action is to first turn on your hazard lights, then simply pull into a safe location such as a parking lot of a local business, and stop.—
CA Weather Bot,
Sacbee.com,
29 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Tangle.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/tangle. Accessed 30 Oct. 2025.
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