tangle
1 Americanverb (used with object)
-
tangles,
present (3rd person singular)
-
tangled,
past participle, past
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tangling
present participle
-
to bring together into a mass of confusedly interlaced or intertwisted threads, strands, or other like parts; snarl.
-
to involve in something that hampers, obstructs, or overgrows.
The bushes were tangled with vines.
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to catch and hold in or as if in a net or snare.
verb (used without object)
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tangles,
present (3rd person singular)
-
tangled,
past participle, past
-
tangling
present participle
-
to be or become tangled.
-
Informal. to come into conflict; fight or argue.
I don't want to tangle with him over the new ruling.
noun
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a tangled condition or situation.
-
a tangled or confused mass or assemblage of something.
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a confused jumble.
a tangle of contradictory statements.
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Informal. a conflict; disagreement.
He got into a tangle with the governor.
noun
noun
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a confused or complicated mass of hairs, lines, fibres, etc, knotted or coiled together
-
a complicated problem, condition, or situation
verb
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to become or cause to become twisted together in a confused mass
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to come into conflict; contend
to tangle with the police
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(tr) to involve in matters which hinder or confuse
to tangle someone in a shady deal
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(tr) to ensnare or trap, as in a net
noun
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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tanglesimple
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tanglessimple
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have tangledperfect
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has tangledperfect
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am tanglingprogressive
-
are tanglingprogressive
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is tanglingprogressive
-
have been tanglingperfect progressive
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has been tanglingperfect progressive
Past
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tangledsimple
-
had tangledperfect
-
was tanglingprogressive
-
were tanglingprogressive
-
had been tanglingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of tangle1
First recorded in 1300–50; Middle English tangilen, tagilen “to entangle,” probably from a Scandinavian language; compare Swedish (dialect) taggla “to disarrange”
Origin of tangle2
First recorded in 1530–40; from a Scandinavian language; compare Old Norse thǫngull “strand of tangle,” Norwegian tang
Explanation
A tangle is a jumble. You might have a tangle of cords behind your computer or a tangle of complications related to your taxes. Whatever it is, once something is in a tangle, it's difficult to sort out. The word tangle likely originated from a Scandinavian source — taggla, in a Swedish dialect, means “disarrange.” Tangle also can be used as a verb: you may tangle your hair as a fashion statement, but then it hurts to comb it out. As a noun, tangle can refer to an argument or a fight between two people: if you're really feisty, people might be warned away from getting into a tangle with you.
Vocabulary lists containing tangle
"Of Mice and Men"
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Excerpt from "Flipped"
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Cormac McCarthy's "The Road"
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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.
See Examples For:
As Gát sees it, today’s discussion has become a tangle of separate questions.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 24, 2026
The critics tangle with Taylor Swift: The singer’s recent singles, including “Patient Zero,” have not, to put it mildly, been critical darlings, but they are holding steady on the charts.
From Slate ● Oct. 20, 2026
When they visited him, they found him under a tangle of tubes, with guards stationed outside his hospital room.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 10, 2026
The dramatic plot tracks the Sophoclean original surprisingly closely, and Ms. Dove re-creates much of the horrifying tension and irony in the ancient play’s tangle of misunderstandings.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 9, 2026
She stares at her feet, silently willing the laces to tie and untie in messy bows, scowling when they tangle into knots.
From "The Night Circus" by Erin Morgenstern
Some carriages were lying on their side in tangles of metal debris at the bottom of an embankment, while dozens of emergency services vehicles were racing to and from the site.
From Barron's ● Oct. 28, 2026
These regions also exhibited substantially more tau tangles, inflammation, and degeneration of brain tissue.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 15, 2026
He shrugged off the Shuffle video and McMahon’s repeated tangles with NFL commissioner Pete Rozelle over the league’s dress code.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 9, 2026
He discusses his childhood tangles with bullies, his ordeals in the U.S.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 9, 2026
Thick tangles of brush were creeping in from the edges of the property.
From "The Wild Robot Escapes" by Peter Brown
Behind the scenes, Bass tangled with Los Angeles County Supervisor Lindsey Horvath, who represented the burn area, over messaging and communications.
From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 1, 2026
Marine experts and firefighters have together helped to free a tangled dolphin spotted out of its depth in a Suffolk river.
From BBC ● Oct. 14, 2026
It was a tangled trust tree that needed lots of water.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 8, 2026
Scientists say the impacts of cleaner air, natural variations and the effects of warming itself are all tangled together.
From BBC ● Sep. 8, 2026
Lady Constance yelled as she rolled on the grass, for what was left of her dress was tangled all ’round her.
From "The Unseen Guest" by Maryrose Wood
Elected in 2022, the 65-year-old Colombian president is no stranger to tangling with adversaries.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 21, 2025
The administration was not interested in tangling with powerful trends that had been going on for decades.
From Slate ● Jun. 22, 2025
"Remy hair has aligned cuticles, hair flows uniformly in one direction, which leads to less tangling and a silkier texture. This is high-value hair," says George Cherion, the company's chief executive.
From BBC ● Feb. 17, 2025
When he was tangling with James on the mat, Henley never considered how much of an influence the training would have on the field.
From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 30, 2024
They could not dress more than twenty ships abreast, lest they risk tangling their oars and colliding with each other.
From "A Clash of Kings" by George R.R. Martin
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Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
