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 book picks up in the aftermath, leading you no closer to an absolute answer but through the tangled impossibility of ever fully knowing another person. —Chloe Schama, Vogue, 24 Jan. 2026

All the lore about cults and fog worlds is a tangled web of nonsense, the characters are wafer-thin, and the whole thing is really way too long for how little plot is in it. —Alison Foreman, IndieWire, 23 Jan. 2026

The company turned its operational know-how into an internal inventory app, replacing a tangled web of Excel spreadsheets. —Renae Gregoire, Forbes.com, 22 Jan. 2026

The Charmast portable charger keeps all my devices alive without requiring me to pack a tangled mess of extra cords. —Chaise Sanders, Travel + Leisure, 18 Jan. 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