entangle
Americanverb (used with object)
-
entangles,
present (3rd person singular)
-
entangled,
past participle, past
-
entangling
present participle
verb
-
to catch or involve in or as if in a tangle; ensnare or enmesh
-
to make tangled or twisted; snarl
-
to make complicated; confuse
-
to involve in difficulties; entrap
Synonym Usage
See involve.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
-
entanglednessnoun
-
entanglernoun
-
interentangleverb (used with object)
-
entangleableadjective
-
unentangleableadjective
-
unentangledadjective
-
unentanglingadjective
-
entangledlyadverb
-
entanglinglyadverb
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
entanglesimple
-
entanglessimple
-
have entangledperfect
-
has entangledperfect
-
am entanglingprogressive
-
are entanglingprogressive
-
is entanglingprogressive
-
have been entanglingperfect progressive
-
has been entanglingperfect progressive
Past
-
entangledsimple
-
had entangledperfect
-
was entanglingprogressive
-
were entanglingprogressive
-
had been entanglingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of entangle
Explanation
To entangle is to snarl, intertwine with, or get caught in. Too often, dolphins entangle themselves in large fishing nets meant to catch tuna or swordfish. If you mean to trip your brother, you can entangle your leg around his, and when long-haired people don't brush it for days, it will snarl and entangle itself. A figurative way to entangle is to get caught up in a complicated situation: "I didn't mean to entangle you in this mess with my roommates!" Entangle's roots are en-, "put in" or "cause to be" and tangle, or "snarl."
Vocabulary lists containing entangle
Messenger
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
Florida's B.E.S.T. Common Prefixes: en-, em-
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
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:
The way the central couple navigates the twists, turns, roadblocks and unforced errors that entangle their budding relationship is the beating heart of these films.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 28, 2026
It’s written in a broad way that could entangle Congress in other aspects of city governance, which probably isn’t a good use of lawmakers’ time.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 26, 2026
Mulino has insisted the canal's neutrality is intact and has urged Washington not to entangle Panama in its rivalry with Beijing.
From Barron's ● Jan. 30, 2026
Nets along the east coast also routinely entangle humpback whales on their annual migration to and from the tropics.
From BBC ● Oct. 3, 2025
Surely Forest would not entangle the poor woman yet.
From "Messenger" by Lois Lowry
It nestles and entangles itself in for the long haul.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 21, 2026
Those numbers, however, don't amount to much in the grand scheme, given the rate at which Louisiana "incarcerates and prosecutes and entangles people in the criminal legal system left and right every day," Romero said.
From Salon ● Sep. 5, 2024
It has put banks on high alert, though their efforts to catch the fraud also routinely entangles innocent customers, causing institutions to suddenly freeze or shut down customer accounts in the process.
From New York Times ● Dec. 9, 2023
This chaotic set of instructions entangles all the qubits into one big, messy state.
From Scientific American ● Jul. 15, 2021
Tell wit how much it wrangles In tickle points of nicenesse; Tell wisdome she entangles Herselfe in over-wisenesse; And if they do reply, Straight give them both the lye.
From Poems Every Child Should Know The What-Every-Child-Should-Know-Library by Mary E. (Mary Elizabeth) Burt
Biologists are hoping to save a humpback whale last seen entangled in a fishing net off the coast of San Pedro.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 5, 2026
This is the second entangled whale the tour operator has witnessed since August, the company said.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 5, 2026
Their work resulted in a new method for performing an entangled measurement that can identify the W state.
From Science Daily ● Sep. 29, 2026
The new measurement approach could also contribute to new quantum communication protocols, methods for transferring multi-photon quantum entangled states, and new forms of measurement-based quantum computing.
From Science Daily ● Sep. 29, 2026
She threw her first javelin in grappling hook mode, knocking away a lead-weighted net that would have entangled us both.
From "The Sea of Monsters" by Rick Riordan
Airstrikes have long been a go-to way to project military power for U.S. administrations that want to minimize the risk of American casualties and avoid entangling ground wars.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 9, 2026
Washington's warning about the dangers of entangling alliances was followed for 150 years.
From BBC ● Jan. 8, 2026
More consolidation – and more influential corporate giants – risks more deeply entangling the interests of profit-driven companies in America’s food system.
From Salon ● Sep. 12, 2024
If the hair is longer than 2 inches, bury it in the soil to avoid entangling birds’ feet, she recommends.
From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 26, 2024
It offers views of the sea to the west; the cliffs below, all strung with entangling wire; and directly across the water, a half mile away, the burning city of Saint-Malo.
From "All the Light We Cannot See" by Anthony Doerr
Random Word
Spin the wheel and learn a new word!
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.
