tangled; tangling
ˈtaŋ-g(ə-)liŋ 
1
: to unite or knit together in intricate confusion
2
: to involve so as to hamper, obstruct, or embarrass
3
: to seize and hold in or as if in a snare : entrap
: a large seaweed
Examples of tangle in a Sentence
Verb
This fishing line tangles easily.
was at last tangled in the web of lies that he had told to everyone
Noun (2)
my mind's been in a tangle ever since I learned some disturbing information about an online acquaintance
Recent Examples on the Web
Brittany Allen, Literary Hub, 23 Oct. 2025
The Tech Coup by Marietje Schaake Technology has been tangled up in modern life for a long time, but the entwinement of Big Tech, as an industry, with our daily habits—everything from tracking friends to hiring cabs—is new.
—The New Yorker, New Yorker, 22 Oct. 2025
Joy Williams, Harpers Magazine, 24 Oct. 2025
In a yarn shop, a tangle of tariffs Sara Heckman’s shop Apricot Yarn & Supply sells yarn from around the world.
—Roxana Popescu, San Diego Union-Tribune, 23 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for tangle
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Verb
First published in 1934, the novel follows a recurring Rampo character, Detective Akechi Kogoro, who gets all tangled up with an exhibitionist jewel thief known only as the Dark Angel.
—Brittany Allen, Literary Hub, 23 Oct. 2025
The Tech Coup by Marietje Schaake Technology has been tangled up in modern life for a long time, but the entwinement of Big Tech, as an industry, with our daily habits—everything from tracking friends to hiring cabs—is new.
—The New Yorker, New Yorker, 22 Oct. 2025
Noun
What is normal in the state of dementia, where connections are not being made, where tangle is all, objects take on a curious aspect, and where there is an unpleasant flavor to the hours?
—Joy Williams, Harpers Magazine, 24 Oct. 2025
In a yarn shop, a tangle of tariffs Sara Heckman’s shop Apricot Yarn & Supply sells yarn from around the world.
—Roxana Popescu, San Diego Union-Tribune, 23 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for tangle
Cite this Entry
“Tangle.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/tangle. Accessed 29 Oct. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
tangle
2 of 2 noun1
: a tangled twisted mass (as of vines or hairs) confusedly woven together : snarl
2
: a complicated or confused state or condition
Medical Definition
tangle
noun
tan·gle
ˈtaŋ-gəl
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