as in complicated
having many parts or aspects that are usually interrelated
it helps to have a lawyer to sort out the tangled contracts that home buyers typically have to contend with
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in trapped
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
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in knotted
to twist together into a usually confused mass
that darn cat tangled the yarn I was trying to knit with
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of tangled
The New York Times News Service Syndicate, San Diego Union-Tribune, 30 Dec. 2025
No plugs, tangled cords, or dirty hands.
—IEEE Spectrum, 30 Dec. 2025
Carol Guzy, Miami Herald, 1 Jan. 2026
These can also get tangled in recycling equipment, though drop-off centers often take many types of clean, dry plastic bags.
—Maia Pandey, jsonline.com, 31 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for tangled
Adjective
An artist drew a tangled ribbon on his right arm, the diagram of a protein called Piezo.
—The New York Times News Service Syndicate, San Diego Union-Tribune, 30 Dec. 2025
No plugs, tangled cords, or dirty hands.
—IEEE Spectrum, 30 Dec. 2025
Verb
Security guards are tangled in the middle of ICE, migrants, observers, activists and press as courthouse dynamics play out in this new normal in America.
—Carol Guzy, Miami Herald, 1 Jan. 2026
These can also get tangled in recycling equipment, though drop-off centers often take many types of clean, dry plastic bags.
—Maia Pandey, jsonline.com, 31 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for tangled
Recent Examples of Synonyms for tangled
Adjective
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The flare suggests there are unknown populations of giant stars near the centers of large galaxies, which also host supermassive black holes — and sheds light on the complicated interactions between two behemoths.—
Ashley Strickland,
CNN Money,
7 Nov. 2025
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What unites them is Dern’s ability to find the humanity in characters navigating life’s most complicated terrain.—
Clayton Davis,
Variety,
7 Nov. 2025
Verb
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During the auditions, wannabe actors are asked to improvise scenes including being a cat, being trapped in a room, and being propositioned by a famous director.—
Leo Barraclough,
Variety,
7 Nov. 2025
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The disconcerting scene offers a glimpse of what actually happened to Will while he was trapped for most of Season 1 and suggests that Will may still be impacted by whatever Vecna put inside him at the beginning of the story.—
Emily Zemler,
Rolling Stone,
7 Nov. 2025
Verb
-
The score was knotted at 30 after 12 minutes, and the Warriors led 69-64 at halftime.—
Joseph Dycus,
Mercury News,
31 Dec. 2025
-
Batherson, a defender, scored her first career goal and knotted the game at 2-all four minutes into the final period on a power play — with another assist from Pannek and one from Kendall Cooper — her third.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
22 Dec. 2025
Adjective
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Visharukh’s shrine to Khan is just one thread in an intricate tapestry of fandom.—
Rhea Mogul,
CNN Money,
9 Nov. 2025
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Handmade in Japan, Akoni styles often feature titanium, plus proprietary hinges, screws, side shields, and adjustable temples that echo the intricate inner workings of timepieces.—
Naomi Rougeau,
Robb Report,
9 Nov. 2025
Verb
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Mark Ruffalo, as a grieving husband leading the task force, and Tom Pelphrey, as a grieving brother enmeshed in robbery, are amazing as two men who would and should be friends and allies in a better world.—
Julie Hinds,
Freep.com,
23 Dec. 2025
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Aside from his Disney firing, Paul’s career has been enmeshed in controversy over the years.—
Yasmeen Hamadeh,
PEOPLE,
19 Dec. 2025
Adjective
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These are common but complicate long-term planning for federal agencies.—
Hollie Silverman,
MSNBC Newsweek,
30 Sep. 2025
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Despite differing views on a variety of security issues, the group, like Gilpatric’s, reached a clear consensus: nuclear proliferation by any additional country would diminish U.S. power, complicate strategic planning, and increase the likelihood of nuclear use, accidents, and disasters.—
MARIANO-FLORENTINO CUÉLLAR,
Foreign Affairs,
25 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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British officials downplayed the pause as temporary, insisting momentum would resume amid complex negotiations, but the impasse signals broader frustrations with Europe’s regulatory posture toward American innovation, market access, and economic sovereignty.—
Daniel Ross Goodman,
The Washington Examiner,
9 Jan. 2026
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Most of its joints can rotate fully, giving it flexibility for tight or complex spaces.—
Sujita Sinha,
Interesting Engineering,
9 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Tangled.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/tangled. Accessed 10 Jan. 2026.
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