tangle
1 Americanverb (used with object)
-
tangles,
present (3rd person singular)
-
tangled,
past participle, past
-
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.
-
to catch and hold in or as if in a net or snare.
verb (used without object)
-
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
-
a tangled condition or situation.
-
a tangled or confused mass or assemblage of something.
-
a confused jumble.
a tangle of contradictory statements.
-
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
-
to become or cause to become twisted together in a confused mass
-
to come into conflict; contend
to tangle with the police
-
(tr) to involve in matters which hinder or confuse
to tangle someone in a shady deal
-
(tr) to ensnare or trap, as in a net
noun
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
tanglesimple
-
tanglessimple
-
have tangledperfect
-
has tangledperfect
-
am tanglingprogressive
-
are tanglingprogressive
-
is tanglingprogressive
-
have been tanglingperfect progressive
-
has been tanglingperfect progressive
Past
-
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"
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!
Excerpt from "Flipped"
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!
Cormac McCarthy's "The Road"
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:
As Gát sees it, today’s discussion has become a tangle of separate questions.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 24, 2026
The critics tangle with Taylor Swift: The singer’s recent singles, including “Patient Zero,” have not, to put it mildly, been critical darlings, but they are holding steady on the charts.
From Slate ● Oct. 20, 2026
When they visited him, they found him under a tangle of tubes, with guards stationed outside his hospital room.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 10, 2026
The dramatic plot tracks the Sophoclean original surprisingly closely, and Ms. Dove re-creates much of the horrifying tension and irony in the ancient play’s tangle of misunderstandings.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 9, 2026
Brooklyn quickly studied the tangle of wires that ran to the back of one of the computers and patched in the crash cart.
From "City Spies" by James Ponti
Some carriages were lying on their side in tangles of metal debris at the bottom of an embankment, while dozens of emergency services vehicles were racing to and from the site.
From Barron's ● Oct. 28, 2026
The regions cleared of amyloid showed little or no buildup of tau tangles, another protein abnormality strongly associated with brain cell damage and declining memory.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 15, 2026
He shrugged off the Shuffle video and McMahon’s repeated tangles with NFL commissioner Pete Rozelle over the league’s dress code.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 9, 2026
He discusses his childhood tangles with bullies, his ordeals in the U.S.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 9, 2026
Intricate tangles of roots and writhing flowers grew in inky, raised lines along both Gran's and Mama's bodies.
From "The Marvellers" by Dhonielle Clayton
Adapted by Duffield and Kraus, “Whalefall” is a heart-tugger tangled in a survival tale — or, arguably, a biologically accurate spin on “Pinocchio.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 15, 2026
It was a tangled trust tree that needed lots of water.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 8, 2026
A New York judge on Wednesday sentenced Harvey Weinstein to 15 years in prison, marking the latest chapter in the tangled legal saga of the disgraced Hollywood mogul.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 23, 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
He curled spikily around her neck and they towed the wagon across the grassland, up to the tangled vines and ferns of the rain forest.
From "Nim’s Island" by Wendy Orr
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
The administration was not interested in tangling with powerful trends that had been going on for decades.
From Slate ● Jun. 22, 2025
City earlier lost midfielder Rodri to injury 21 minutes into the game when he appeared to twist his knee while tangling with Arsenal's Thomas Partey.
From BBC ● Sep. 22, 2024
For example, he once jumped onto the roof of a car to avoid tangling with a large mastiff mix that had hopped over a waist-high fence.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 5, 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
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.
