Synonyms

embroil

American

[em-broil] / ɛmˈbrɔɪl /

verb (used with object)

to bring into discord or conflict; involve in contention or strife.
to throw into confusion; complicate.

embroil British

/ ɪmˈbrɔɪl /

verb

to involve (a person, oneself, etc) in trouble, conflict, or argument
to throw (affairs) into a state of confusion or disorder; complicate; entangle

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Word Forms

embroiler noun
embroilment noun

Etymology

Origin of embroil

First recorded in 1595–1605; from Middle French embrouiller, equivalent to em- em- ¹ + brouiller “to quarrel”; broil ²

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.

Some multinationals operating here have themselves become embroiled in South Africa’s endemic corruption.

From The Wall Street Journal

But Ms. Siddiq became embroiled in a corruption scandal in her parents’ homeland, Bangladesh, where this week she was sentenced in absentia to four years in prison.

From The Wall Street Journal

But it is far from the first time Kim herself has been embroiled in controversy.

From BBC

Reports had been circulating for days that the agency embroiled in an often brutal immigration crackdown in the United States could be involved in US security measures for the February 6-22 Games in northern Italy.

From Barron's

The Kashiwazaki-Kariwa plant in particular found itself embroiled in a couple of them.

From BBC

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023