as in confusions
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
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in traps
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 knots
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 tangles
Grace McCarty, Glamour, 5 Sep. 2025
Peralta leaders had kicked around the idea for years but avoided discussing it in concrete terms, with bureaucratic tangles often getting in the way.
—Shomik Mukherjee, Mercury News, 23 Aug. 2025
Lithium orotate helped the mice reduce production of the amyloid plaques and tau tangles, and allowed the microglial cells to remove the plaques much more effectively.
—The Washington Post, San Diego Union-Tribune, 19 Aug. 2025
Owners often need to brush them weekly, if not daily, during peak shedding seasons, with coat rakes or shedding tools recommended to keep tangles at bay.
—Lucy Notarantonio, MSNBC Newsweek, 18 Aug. 2025
The thread tangles at the other end, too.
—Daniel Immerwahr, New Yorker, 18 Aug. 2025
Worried about the tangles of sargassum seaweed that have overtaken the beaches of many nearby Caribbean destinations?
—Carley Rojas Avila, Travel + Leisure, 16 Aug. 2025
Bissell Crosswave Pet Pro Wet-Dry Vacuum Ideal for pet owners, the brush roll avoids hair tangles and helps lift up fur and dander while minimizing clogs.
—Toni Sutton, People.com, 15 Aug. 2025
Its multi-surface brush can clean carpets and hard floors, and the brush efficiently tackles hair and reduces the chance of tangles while also picking up large particles.
—Scott Kramer, Forbes.com, 8 Aug. 2025
Noun
English also says that protective or tight styles can also lead to matting if left in too long, by compacting tangles at the base.
—Grace McCarty, Glamour, 5 Sep. 2025
Peralta leaders had kicked around the idea for years but avoided discussing it in concrete terms, with bureaucratic tangles often getting in the way.
—Shomik Mukherjee, Mercury News, 23 Aug. 2025
Lithium orotate helped the mice reduce production of the amyloid plaques and tau tangles, and allowed the microglial cells to remove the plaques much more effectively.
—The Washington Post, San Diego Union-Tribune, 19 Aug. 2025
Owners often need to brush them weekly, if not daily, during peak shedding seasons, with coat rakes or shedding tools recommended to keep tangles at bay.
—Lucy Notarantonio, MSNBC Newsweek, 18 Aug. 2025
The thread tangles at the other end, too.
—Daniel Immerwahr, New Yorker, 18 Aug. 2025
Worried about the tangles of sargassum seaweed that have overtaken the beaches of many nearby Caribbean destinations?
—Carley Rojas Avila, Travel + Leisure, 16 Aug. 2025
Bissell Crosswave Pet Pro Wet-Dry Vacuum Ideal for pet owners, the brush roll avoids hair tangles and helps lift up fur and dander while minimizing clogs.
—Toni Sutton, People.com, 15 Aug. 2025
Its multi-surface brush can clean carpets and hard floors, and the brush efficiently tackles hair and reduces the chance of tangles while also picking up large particles.
—Scott Kramer, Forbes.com, 8 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for tangles
traps
Verb
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In contrast, focusing on weaknesses traps people in a cycle of fixing deficiencies; over time, this limits performance by missing opportunities to generate truly forward-looking solutions.—
Gamze Acar Bayraktaroglu,
Forbes.com,
3 Sep. 2025
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The utility has a fraught history with the California Coastal Commission, whose former senior scientist dubbed Diablo Canyon California’s largest marine predator because its intake system traps copious ocean larvae.—
Bloomberg,
Mercury News,
20 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Tangles.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/tangles. Accessed 9 Sep. 2025.
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