tangle
1 Americanverb (used with object)
-
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.
-
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
-
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
-
was tanglingprogressive
-
were tanglingprogressive
-
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:
For years I’ve had deli containers of the gorgeous, sticky umami tangle rotating in and out of my refrigerator.
From Salon ● Sep. 20, 2026
Most large companies have a tangle of software from different providers that they’ve knit together over time.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 8, 2026
Early Portuguese colonizers described those forests as forming a dense tangle, or "maranhão."
From Science Daily ● Sep. 8, 2026
Among employees, the ownership tangle is causing "real uncertainty", said Danny Ruthenberg, chairman of the works council.
From Barron's ● Sep. 4, 2026
But through the tangle of its broke thoughts, Wolf sensed that it would be back.
From "Wolf Brother" by Michelle Paver
He discusses his childhood tangles with bullies, his ordeals in the U.S.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 9, 2026
From his “Airwatch” pilot seat, Captain Max guided Angelenos through their traffic tangles, and more.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 16, 2026
Amyloid beta plaques and tau tangles are among the best known biological features of Alzheimer's disease.
From Science Daily ● Sep. 13, 2026
Two days remain in one of the greatest tangles in bass fishing history.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 29, 2026
Knots and tangles, Jaime thought, wishing he could cut through all of it with one swift stroke of his sword.
From "A Dance with Dragons" by George R. R. Martin
Tammy Nuccio was struck by his arrogance when she tangled with him as head of the town council in Tolland, outside Hartford.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 8, 2026
Scientists say the impacts of cleaner air, natural variations and the effects of warming itself are all tangled together.
From BBC ● Sep. 8, 2026
In Washington, park officials notified the public of a rabid bat three days after the animal swept down and became tangled in a woman’s hair on Aug. 9.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 4, 2026
Record labels, music publishers and tech startups are already tangled in lawsuits over AI platforms that allow at-home novices to create songs.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 1, 2026
Maybe I had given myself false hope, as if there really could be more to me than just a tangled mess.
From "Rump: The (Fairly) True Story of Rumpelstilskin" by Liesl Shurtliff
Ms. Crabapple’s great-grandfather, Samuel Rothbort, was a Russian-born Bundist who, after tangling with local thugs, immigrated to the U.S. and became a painter and chicken farmer.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 14, 2026
"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
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
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
They could not dress more than twenty ships abreast, lest they risk tangling their oars and colliding with each other.
From "A Clash of Kings" by George R.R. Martin
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.
