tangled 1 of 2

adjective

ˈtaŋ-gəld How to pronounce tangled (audio)
Definition of tanglednext
as in complicated
having many parts or aspects that are usually interrelated it helps to have a lawyer to sort out the tangled contracts that home buyers typically have to contend with

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

tangled

2 of 2

verb

past tense of tangle
1
as in trapped
to catch or hold as if in a net was at last tangled in the web of lies that he had told to everyone

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in knotted
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

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 tangled
Adjective
The snag underscores how tangled sports media rights have become, and the gaps that remain. — Jacob Feldman, Sportico.com, 25 Sep. 2026 In the tangled greenery of a Ugandan national park, mountain gorillas sit among the leaves, calmly carrying on as tourists trek into their forest home. — ABC News, 24 Sep. 2026
Verb
Late in the fourth quarter, Wilson and Cunningham became tangled during a physical play. — Jackson Thompson Outkick, FOXNews.com, 3 Oct. 2026 Clarke also got tangled up with Cale Makar earlier in this game, which led to the Avs’ two-time Norris Trophy winning defenseman crashing awkwardly into the boards. — Corey Masisak, Denver Post, 1 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for tangled
Recent Examples of Synonyms for tangled
  1. complicated
  2. trapped
  3. knotted
  4. intricate
  5. enmeshed
  6. complicate
  7. complex
Adjective
  • The complicated feelings surrounding Jose’s detainment mirrors the response in Staunton over the deportation of Ayuzo Sandoval during the 2025 holidays, which caught the attention of the governor.
    — Gregory Royal Pratt, Chicago Tribune, 18 Oct. 2026
  • The effects crew also rebuilt Rocky’s transparent xenonite barriers digitally to remove reflections, hide operators and maintain the complicated play of light through the set.
    — Davide Abbatescianni, Variety, 18 Oct. 2026
Definition of complicated
Verb
  • Separately, a woman trapped inside her car in floodwaters was freed outside of Morganton.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 12 Oct. 2026
  • As his father became more trapped by his criminal enterprises, Flynn remained decent and upstanding.
    — Greg Braxton, Los Angeles Times, 12 Oct. 2026
Definition of trapped
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
Adjective
  • Most Sherlock Holmes stories are mysteries – intricate, complex and brilliantly written.
    — Jesse Whittock, Deadline, 16 Oct. 2026
  • The pieces feature custom hardware and intricate embroidery highlighting Indian Motorcycle’s iconic headdress badge.
    — Angela Velasquez, Footwear News, 15 Oct. 2026
Definition of intricate
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
Adjective
  • The company very deliberately targets large enterprise customers, which have the biggest and most complicate supply chain ecosystems.
    — David Prosser, Forbes.com, 29 July 2026
  • Wilcox noted that overlaps between substance use and suicide complicate reduction efforts.
    — Danielle J. Brown, Baltimore Sun, 10 June 2026
Definition of complicate
Adjective
  • In an era when high-performance vehicles often grow larger, heavier, and more complex with each successive generation, part of the Carrera T’s appeal lies in its restraint.
    — Bradley Iger, Robb Report, 16 Oct. 2026
  • Advances robot Intelligence Neuron AI is a robot foundation model designed to combine visual perception, touch, sound, language, and memory to help robots perform complex tasks.
    — Jijo Malayil, Interesting Engineering, 16 Oct. 2026
Definition of complex

Browse Nearby Words

tangle
tangled
tanglement
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Cite this Entry

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

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