tangled
Americanadjective
-
snarled, interlaced, or mixed up.
tangled thread.
-
very complicated, intricate, or involved.
tangled bureaucratic procedures.
Etymology
Origin of tangled
Explanation
Tangled is an adjective that describes a confused mass. You're likely to hear tangled used most often when referring to hair. If it's tangled, you can't brush or comb through it. Other than discussing hair, tangled can be used to refer to anything that's jumbled up and confused. Like that tangled pile of wires behind your television and computer that you keep tripping over. Tangled can also mean something highly complicated or intricate, like the relationships between ex-wives, ex-husbands and stepchildren in a family. The word tangled is most famous for being included in a well-known literary quote from Sir Walter Scott's poem, "Marmion" — "Oh what a tangled web we weave, when first we practise to deceive."
Vocabulary lists containing tangled
"American Names"
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Cormac McCarthy's "The Road"
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Where the Mountain Meets the Moon
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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.
Adapted by Duffield and Kraus, “Whalefall” is a heart-tugger tangled in a survival tale — or, arguably, a biologically accurate spin on “Pinocchio.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 15, 2026
She passed below a drone tangled in a tree.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 11, 2026
The fisherman and the shark apparently tangled when the man tried to release the fish.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 4, 2026
Since becoming vice-president, he has occasionally tangled with Pope Leo and his papal predecessor Francis, on issues including the Trump administration's immigration policy.
From BBC ● Sep. 3, 2026
Mama could see that Gandy was tangled up in the net.
From "Summer of the Monkeys" by Wilson Rawls
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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.
