1
as in trapping
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
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in knotting
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
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Recent Examples of tangling
Its hot water wash dissolves stubborn grease on the mop pads, while its specialized Curv design prevents long hair from tangling around the brushes.
—
Juhi Wadia, PC Magazine, 25 Mar. 2026
The instinctive Moon opposes jovial Jupiter, tangling your 10th House of Ambition with your 4th House of Comfort.
—Tarot.com, Baltimore Sun, 13 Mar. 2026
Forecasters warned that the storm's wind gusts could top 70 mph, uprooting trees and tangling power lines.
—Christopher Cann, USA Today, 23 Feb. 2026
Using a cooling rack over water to propagate houseplants can help prevent root rot and tangling.
—Nishaa Sharma, The Spruce, 21 Feb. 2026
This will help prevent tangling and stretching during the wash cycle.
—Daley Quinn, Southern Living, 11 Jan. 2026
Laces can be washed in the same load, ideally tucked into another laundry bag to prevent tangling.
—Katie Cloyd, Martha Stewart, 29 Dec. 2025
The large brush roll resists tangling hair and pet fur, which eliminates the need to stop and pull items off the brush—and also eliminates a clogged pipe.
—Yelena Moroz Alpert, Architectural Digest, 23 Dec. 2025
Its cleaner head can deep-clean all floor types, including carpeting, and boasts a de-tangling design that prevents hair wrap.
—Bestreviews, Mercury News, 1 Dec. 2025
Juhi Wadia, PC Magazine, 25 Mar. 2026
The instinctive Moon opposes jovial Jupiter, tangling your 10th House of Ambition with your 4th House of Comfort.
—Tarot.com, Baltimore Sun, 13 Mar. 2026
Forecasters warned that the storm's wind gusts could top 70 mph, uprooting trees and tangling power lines.
—Christopher Cann, USA Today, 23 Feb. 2026
Using a cooling rack over water to propagate houseplants can help prevent root rot and tangling.
—Nishaa Sharma, The Spruce, 21 Feb. 2026
This will help prevent tangling and stretching during the wash cycle.
—Daley Quinn, Southern Living, 11 Jan. 2026
Laces can be washed in the same load, ideally tucked into another laundry bag to prevent tangling.
—Katie Cloyd, Martha Stewart, 29 Dec. 2025
The large brush roll resists tangling hair and pet fur, which eliminates the need to stop and pull items off the brush—and also eliminates a clogged pipe.
—Yelena Moroz Alpert, Architectural Digest, 23 Dec. 2025
Its cleaner head can deep-clean all floor types, including carpeting, and boasts a de-tangling design that prevents hair wrap.
—Bestreviews, Mercury News, 1 Dec. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for tangling
Verb
-
The blaze quickly extended to Engine 79’s firetruck and spread to the first-floor staircase, trapping firefighters upstairs.—
Thomas Tracy,
New York Daily News,
27 Mar. 2026
-
By trapping radiation from the Sun and from deep space, our planet’s magnetic field is part of what makes Earth habitable for us and other life forms.—
Scott Solomon,
The Conversation,
27 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
In the '90s, braiders primarily used synthetic hair, mainly because that’s what was widely available, but which came with its fair share of knotting and matting.—
Annie Blay-Tettey,
Allure,
16 Mar. 2026
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The Tigers erased an 11-point halftime deficit in the third quarter, knotting the contest at 33-33 before running out of gas — just as Bama was mashing the pedal to the floor.—
The Kansas City Star,
Kansas City Star,
5 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Tangling.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/tangling. Accessed 29 Mar. 2026.
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