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

Conditioning first can also help minimize tangles and create a smoother surface before shampooing. — Conçetta Ciarlo, Vogue, 17 July 2026

Not free of clothes and springing away from a dense tangle of hair. — Literary Hub, 17 July 2026

Verb

The man in the water Tanner Mansell is, in many ways, the bill’s perfect antagonist — and the clearest illustration of how tangled this fight has become. — Kate Waxman, Sun Sentinel, 19 July 2026

Each strand is like a beautiful clump of calligraphy all tangled up in itself, as captivating and lonely as any earthwork. — Hilton Als, New Yorker, 17 July 2026