tangle

1
[ tang-guhl ]
See synonyms for tangle on Thesaurus.com
verb (used with object),tan·gled, tan·gling.
  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.

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

verb (used without object),tan·gled, tan·gling.
  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.

  1. a confused jumble: a tangle of contradictory statements.

  2. Informal. a conflict; disagreement: He got into a tangle with the governor.

Origin of tangle

1
First recorded in 1300–50; Middle English tangilen, tagilen “to entangle,” probably from a Scandinavian language; compare Swedish (dialect) taggla “to disarrange”

Other words for tangle

Other words from tangle

  • tan·gle·ment, noun
  • tangler, noun
  • tangly, adverb

Other definitions for tangle (2 of 2)

tangle2
[ tang-guhl ]

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

Origin of tangle

2
First recorded in 1530–40; from a Scandinavian language; compare Old Norse thǫngull “strand of tangle,” Norwegian tang

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use tangle in a sentence

  • I will therefore repeat that as a general thing domestic tangles should be untangled by the tanglers themselves.

    Woman | William J. Robinson

British Dictionary definitions for tangle (1 of 2)

tangle1

/ (ˈtæŋɡəl) /


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

  2. a complicated problem, condition, or situation

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

  2. (intr often foll by with) to come into conflict; contend: to tangle with the police

  1. (tr) to involve in matters which hinder or confuse: to tangle someone in a shady deal

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

Origin of tangle

1
C14 tangilen, variant of tagilen, probably of Scandinavian origin; related to Swedish dialect taggla to entangle

Derived forms of tangle

  • tanglement, noun
  • tangler, noun
  • tangly, adjective

British Dictionary definitions for tangle (2 of 2)

tangle2

tangle weed

/ (ˈtæŋɡəl) /


noun
  1. alternative names (esp Scot) for oarweed

Origin of tangle

2
C16: of Scandinavian origin: compare Danish tang seaweed

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012