embroiled
Americanadjective
verb
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of embroiled
Explanation
When you're embroiled in something, you're tangled or mired in it — in other words, you're involved so completely that it's hard to get away from it. You might be embroiled in an argument between two friends, unable to step back and be neutral. Two warring countries might be embroiled in peace talks, or two characters on your favorite TV show could be embroiled in a scandal. In either case, people are tangled in a complicated situation or a serious conflict. The earliest meaning of embroil was "throw into disorder," from the French root embrouillier, "entangle or confuse."
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
But it's not just Indonesian companies that have been embroiled in controversy amid the haze problem.
From BBC ● Oct. 13, 2026
Before City -- now embroiled in the biggest financial scandal to hit football's cash-rich Premier League -- moved to the area it was "very deprived" with high rates of unemployment, he said.
From Barron's ● Oct. 9, 2026
The two Nations League fixtures, being played at neutral venues, have been embroiled in controversy since February when the two teams were drawn to play each other in Group B3.
From BBC ● Sep. 28, 2026
Turns out Ed Sheeran, whose Loop tour became embroiled in controversy this month, won’t perform at billionaire Robert Kraft’s Gillette Stadium this weekend, either.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 25, 2026
So instead of the peaceful, happy, safe Christmas vacation I had dreamed of for months, I was embroiled in integration meetings and worry.
From "Warriors Don't Cry: A Searing Memoir of the Battle to Integrate Little Rock's Central High" by Melba Pattillo Beals
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Get a wordDefinitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
