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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of tangling
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
The Suncast resin hose hideaway prevents cracking, tangling and freezing as temperatures drop.
—Nora Colomer
May Earn A Commission If You Buy Through Our Referral Links. This Content Was Created By A Team That Works Independently From The Fox Newsroom., FOXNews.com, 16 Oct. 2025
But Pynchon is also funny, and the disorientation of his novels gives ways to discovery, and un-tangling, and the characters have goofy names that allude to their archetypal nature.
—Literary Hub, 7 Oct. 2025
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
The Suncast resin hose hideaway prevents cracking, tangling and freezing as temperatures drop.
—Nora Colomer
May Earn A Commission If You Buy Through Our Referral Links. This Content Was Created By A Team That Works Independently From The Fox Newsroom., FOXNews.com, 16 Oct. 2025
But Pynchon is also funny, and the disorientation of his novels gives ways to discovery, and un-tangling, and the characters have goofy names that allude to their archetypal nature.
—Literary Hub, 7 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for tangling
Verb
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Schools closed, and an exodus of people fleeing the attacks jammed the streets with traffic, trapping drivers for hours.—
Rania Abouzeid,
New Yorker,
5 Mar. 2026
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Several commenters also shared their view that the petition was part of a broader agenda by animal-rights proponents to chip away at Coloradan’s hunting and trapping rights.—
Dac Collins,
Outdoor Life,
5 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
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
-
By draining 25 apiece in Washington and Chicago, and then another 22 in Indiana — placing them within one of the franchise record for made 3s in a game — the Hornets matched what Boston did in March 2024, knotting them with the Celtics for the three-game record.—
Roderick Boone,
Charlotte Observer,
28 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Tangling.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/tangling. Accessed 9 Mar. 2026.
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