ENTANGLED Synonyms: 84 Similar and Opposite Words

entangled

verb

past tense of entangle

as in tangled

to twist together into a usually confused mass in the process of taking down the Christmas tree, we managed to entangle the string of lights into a hopeless mess of wires

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as in trapped

to catch or hold as if in a net the young runaway gradually became entangled in a web of lies

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as in complicated

to make complex or difficult the history of Alexander the Great is entangled by variant accounts of his exploits

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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of entangled Choose solid objects over anything with netting, strings, ropes, ribbons or other materials in which an animal could become entangled. — Katie Koschalk, Scientific American, 16 Oct. 2026 When Jay encounters a giant squid being chased by a mammoth sperm whale, he’s unwittingly entangled in the former’s tentacles and swallowed up in one extended, terrifying sequence. — David MacK, CNN Money, 15 Oct. 2026 Some have said the industry needs to be monitored more closely to protect rare North Atlantic right whales, which are vulnerable to getting entangled in fishing gear. — ABC News, 14 Oct. 2026 The premise is fantasy, but because that chaos is there, people become entangled with one another, the story twists and winds, and the work as a whole becomes realistic. — Billboard Japan, Billboard, 14 Oct. 2026 Because their co-op is entangled in an unpredictable land-lease situation, the units sell for about half the cost of what’s typical for Brooklyn Heights. — Anne Kadet, Curbed, 14 Oct. 2026 After submerging himself, Jay gets entangled in the tentacles of a giant squid, and that’s when the whale, who feeds on squid, pulls both Jay and the squid into his oversize gaping mouth. — Owen Gleiberman, Variety, 14 Oct. 2026 Over the next two seasons, Batie-Smoose says, disagreements about Fleming’s participation became entangled with her relationship with Kress, her responsibilities on the court and her standing inside the athletic department. — Jackson Thompson Outkick, FOXNews.com, 14 Oct. 2026 After a strong launch and week-to-week ratings gains, the drama about a family of federal law enforcement agents entangled in a mystery has become the first new 2026-27 broadcast series to get a back order as NBC has picked up 5 additional scripts. — Nellie Andreeva, Deadline, 12 Oct. 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for entangled

Verb

Besides the challenge of rebuilding the tunnel, the railroad has been tangled for several years in legal disputes with the city of Fort Bragg and the California Coastal Commission.

— Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 15 Oct. 2026
But ordinary matter, which interacts using all four fundamental forces, would get all tangled up.

— Quanta Magazine, Quanta Magazine, 14 Oct. 2026

Definition of tangled

Verb

In knitting, loops from the middle of an entangled yarn are slipped through one another so the yarn holds its position but isn’t knotted together.

— Emma Gometz, Scientific American, 8 Oct. 2026
There weren’t many in Saturday’s lockdown defensive effort, but Grade-A scoring opportunities still emerged, the most dangerous arriving midway through the final period, with the score knotted 1-1.

— Janson Duench, New York Times, 4 Oct. 2026

Definition of knotted

Verb

My sister was enmeshed for seventeen years in a cycle, one in which denial plays a huge role.

— Kristen Rogers, CNN Money, 6 Oct. 2026
Revenue was only around $8 billion at the time, and the league was enmeshed in controversy, from Spygate to concussion hearings to a pending lockout.

— Will Leitch, Washington Post, 10 Sep. 2026

Definition of enmeshed

Verb

These species, separated by land and sea, are far more intertwined than once thought.

— Lauren Sommer, NPR, 13 Oct. 2026
With the festival’s first weekend coinciding with the Brazilian presidential elections, almost every conversation overheard at RioMarket during the event’s early days was intertwined with politics.

— Rafa Sales Ross, Variety, 12 Oct. 2026

Definition of intertwined

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entangle

entangled

entanglement

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“Entangled.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/entangled. Accessed 20 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of entangled

verb

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