tangle
1 Americanverb (used with object)
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to bring together into a mass of confusedly interlaced or intertwisted threads, strands, or other like parts; snarl.
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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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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
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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
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have been tanglingperfect progressive
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has been tanglingperfect progressive
Past
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tangledsimple
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had tangledperfect
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was tanglingprogressive
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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.
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
It’s bad enough that Lisa has to deal with Dan’s insecurity — now she’s got to tangle with some dopey crooks?
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 24, 2026
François was surprised, too, when they shot out in a tangle from the disrupted nest and he divined the cause of the trouble.
From "The Call of the Wild" by Jack London
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.
