Tangle

/ˈtæŋ.ɡəl/ · verb

Meaning

(transitive) To mix together or intertwine..

Definitions by Sense

1. (transitive) To mix together or intertwine.
2. (intransitive) To become mixed together or intertwined.
3. (intransitive, figurative) To enter into an argument, conflict, dispute, or fight.
4. (transitive) To catch and hold.
5. A tangled twisted mass.
6. A complicated or confused state or condition.
7. An argument, conflict, dispute, or fight.
8. (mathematics) A region of the projection of a knot such that the knot crosses its perimeter exactly four times.

Example Sentences

Her hair was tangled from a day in the wind.

By the afternoon it seemed as if the storm had passed and that frost was setting in; but in the evening the wind rose to gale force, bringing telegraph poles down like skittles and tangling power and telephone lines.

Don't tangle with someone three times your size.

He tangled with the law.

Compared to the last time they'd tangled with the U.S. Navy's carriers, the antiaircraft fire had been much, much more effective, even if the Wildcats hadn't done particularly well in their intercepts. They couldn't know it, of course, but the officer aboard Enterprise who'd recommended recarpeting the ship with 20-mm Oerlikons had, at least partially, been listened to, and the effect on the Japanese Navy's elite aircrews had been devastating.

After a few attempts at counseling, they separated in January 2015. Since then, they have tangled in the courts.

tangled in amorous nets

When my simple weakness strays, / Tangled in forbidden ways.

Synonyms for tangle

Antonyms for tangle

Related Words

Word Forms

• tangles
• tangling
• tangled

Usage Notes

Choose a synonym only when it preserves the intended meaning, tone, and grammar of the full sentence.

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