tangle
1 Americanverb (used with object)
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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.
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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.
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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
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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
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was tanglingprogressive
-
were tanglingprogressive
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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:
"It's very important that the hundred rowers coordinate because the oars are quite long and they will tangle with each other," Trammell Hudson stressed.
From Barron's ● Aug. 18, 2026
During the nature walk, we ambled down a tangle of dirt trails as Fadel pointed out wild rose bushes, Aspen trees and elderberry, giving a recipe for syrup.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 30, 2026
In between, Brook got into a tangle against an O'Rourke full ball and was out for nought.
From BBC ● Jun. 5, 2026
On the slithering “Naraka,” a mass of voices come together in a chant while a dense tangle of electronics coil around them.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 26, 2026
Her blonde hair is fixed in uneven pigtails, her shirt is stained with something maroon, and she’s wearing a tangle of plastic beads around her neck.
From "South of Somewhere" by Kalena Miller
Some people accumulate substantial amounts of plaques and tangles yet remain cognitively healthy.
From Science Daily ● Jul. 26, 2026
But consent decrees are legally and politically complicated, and the treatment of migrant children further tangles the situation.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 24, 2026
Drugmakers are also developing medications that target tau tangles in the brain so patients may have more options in the future.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 15, 2026
To administer genetic medicines against the tau protein tangles that are Alzheimer’s’ other main pathology, doctors must inject them directly into the cerebrospinal fluid.
From Barron's ● Jun. 3, 2026
The earth is very black and spongy underfoot, often obscured by tangles of vines with colorful blossoms.
From "Catching Fire" by Suzanne Collins
One excellent vegetable can be cooked down with butter and tangled through pasta.
From Salon ● Aug. 4, 2026
No matter the sport, professional athletes always lead tangled tax lives.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 17, 2026
The president tangled with many big companies and wound up earning at least $86.5 million in legal settlements that were detailed in the disclosure.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 30, 2026
The Polygamist, a 22-episode Zulu-language series, is about the tangled love life of wealthy Johannesburg businessman Jonasi Gomora.
From BBC ● Jun. 26, 2026
It’s hard to make simple out of complicated, like trying to make a straight line out of a tangled knot.
From "Rump: The (Fairly) True Story of Rumpelstilskin" by Liesl Shurtliff
They were also playing without their best receiver, DK Metcalf, who’d received a two-game suspension for tangling with a fan in Detroit.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jan. 5, 2026
There’s a school of thought that, in tangling with adversaries, it’s sometimes wise to seem unpredictable—to tip them off balance.
From Slate ● Feb. 4, 2025
City earlier lost midfielder Rodri to injury 21 minutes into the game when he appeared to twist his knee while tangling with Arsenal's Thomas Partey.
From BBC ● Sep. 22, 2024
The Times chronicled his ordeal, which included tangling with a health insurance company over where he could be evaluated for a possible transplant.
From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 6, 2024
He released his grip and backed away, his feet tangling in the wreckage of the broken barstool.
From "The Name of the Wind" by Patrick Rothfuss
Definitions 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.
