tangle

¹ American  

[tang-guhl] / ˈtæŋ gəl /

verb (used with object)

tangled, tangling

1. to bring together into a mass of confusedly interlaced or intertwisted threads, strands, or other like parts; snarl.

2. to involve in something that hampers, obstructs, or overgrows.

   The bushes were tangled with vines.

3. to catch and hold in or as if in a net or snare.

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verb (used without object)

tangled, tangling

1. to be or become tangled.

2. Informal. to come into conflict; fight or argue.

   I don't want to tangle with him over the new ruling.

noun

1. a tangled condition or situation.

2. a tangled or confused mass or assemblage of something.

3. a confused jumble.

   a tangle of contradictory statements.

   Synonyms:

   fight, dispute, argument, altercation, maze, labyrinth, snarl

4. Informal. a conflict; disagreement.

   He got into a tangle with the governor.

tangle ² American  

[tang-guhl] / ˈtæŋ gəl /

noun

1. any of several large seaweeds of the genus Laminaria.

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tangle ¹ British  

/ ˈtæŋɡəl /

noun

1. a confused or complicated mass of hairs, lines, fibres, etc, knotted or coiled together

2. a complicated problem, condition, or situation

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verb

1. to become or cause to become twisted together in a confused mass

2. to come into conflict; contend

   to tangle with the police

3. (tr) to involve in matters which hinder or confuse

   to tangle someone in a shady deal

4. (tr) to ensnare or trap, as in a net

tangle ² British  

/ ˈtæŋɡəl /

noun

1. alternative names (esp Scot) for oarweed

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Other Word Forms

• tanglement noun
• tangler noun
• tangly adverb

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

Example Sentences

This suggests that people with clogged brain drains are more likely to have increased amyloid plaques, tau tangles, and damage to brain cells, placing them at greater risk of developing Alzheimer's.

From Science Daily

But for anyone who’s tangled with an eating disorder — and the way its tendrils quietly siphon joy from even the simplest routines — it is something.

From Salon

The routes of competing undersea cables are convoluted and geopolitically tangled.

From The Wall Street Journal

And it's not just long-line fishing that kills these birds: they also get tangled in the cable lines that pull the fishing nets up towards the boat.

From BBC

Director Guy Ritchie, who has of course tangled with the famous detective before, has this time opted to explore the origin story of Sherlock Holmes.

From BBC

Related Words

• confuse
• embroil
• enmesh
• entangle
• perplex
• snarl
• tie up
• trap