tangled

adjective

tan·​gled ˈtaŋ-gəld 

1

: existing in or giving the appearance of a state of utter disorder

2

: very involved : exceedingly complex

Synonyms of tangled

• complicated
• intricate
• complicate
• complex

Examples of tangled in a Sentence

it helps to have a lawyer to sort out the tangled contracts that home buyers typically have to contend with

Recent Examples on the Web

The crumbling institution makes an appropriately strange backdrop for a romp that mixes madcap antics, tangled romantic relationships, and the frank, sometimes enthusiastically gross sexuality that is one of Waller-Bridge’s signatures. — Judy Berman, Time, 11 Aug. 2026

On July 24, however, a major credit quickly gave way to a tangled web of confusion. — Marion Fasel, Air Mail, 8 Aug. 2026

Rather than simply copying the appearance of seaweed, the researchers recreated its tangled structure using sustainable biopolymers. — Georgina Jedikovska, Interesting Engineering, 5 Aug. 2026

In rare cases, castor oil has been linked to hair felting, a disorder in which hair on the scalp becomes very tangled and matted. — Hannah Harper, HEALTH, 1 Aug. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1596, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for tangled

• angled
• dangled
• fangled
• jangled
• mangled
• spangled
• strangled
• wrangled
• disentangled
• entangled
• newfangled
• untangled