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
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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
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
Late last week, it appeared likely that Starmer might survive in the medium term, not least because no plausible challenger seemed ready to tangle with Labour’s complicated rules for ousting a party leader.
From Salon ● May 12, 2026
His russet beard was a bird’s nest tangle; one cheek was pulled downwards by an ugly scar, and whatever had bitten him had taken off one ear.
From "Wolf Brother" by Michelle Paver
Two days remain in one of the greatest tangles in bass fishing history.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 29, 2026
Unnecessary tangles with defenders are so often a hallmark of Delap's do-or-die approach, even when playing his best football.
From BBC ● Aug. 27, 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
In disease, however, tau can twist into toxic tangles that interfere with the brain circuits it would normally help preserve.
From Science Daily ● Jul. 20, 2026
We find the little turtle behind tangles of sweetbrier in the yard.
From "The Kite Runner" by Khaled Hosseini
A tangled web of masterfully timed sound effects has unintentionally become the heartbeat of “Stamptown” .
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 25, 2026
“High Noon” begins with an atmospheric whistle on loan from a Sergio Leone film, and Georgia rapper Gunna trades verses with Shaboozey over a coiled trap beat tangled with slide guitar.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 4, 2026
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
Both of his ankles were tangled in some sort of rope.
From "The Unseen Guest" by Maryrose Wood
The moves also signaled to the U.S. that it was tangling not just with Denmark—a country of roughly six million people—but allies from across NATO’s 32 members.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jan. 15, 2026
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
I try to pull Rootbeer inside, but the dog is racing round and round another small tree, tangling my legs in her leash.
From "Invisible Inkling" by Emily Jenkins
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.
