as in confusion
a state of mental uncertainty
my mind's been in a tangle ever since I learned some disturbing information about an online acquaintance
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in to trap
to catch or hold as if in a net
was at last tangled in the web of lies that he had told to everyone
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to knot
to twist together into a usually confused mass
that darn cat tangled the yarn I was trying to knit with
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of tangle
Nashia Baker, Architectural Digest, 5 Nov. 2025
Her hair is often a massive tangle of black curls, her nails are expertly polished, her huge brown eyes peer out from spidery lashes, and her skin is cocoa-butter smooth.
—Stephanie Mansfield, Vogue, 2 Nov. 2025
Carol Guzy, Miami Herald, 1 Jan. 2026
These can also get tangled in recycling equipment, though drop-off centers often take many types of clean, dry plastic bags.
—Maia Pandey, jsonline.com, 31 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for tangle
Noun
Contributor Terri Williams praises its 50-minute run-time; tangle-free, five-stage filtration system; and dustbin disposal that deploys at the touch of a button.
—Verb
Security guards are tangled in the middle of ICE, migrants, observers, activists and press as courthouse dynamics play out in this new normal in America.
—Recent Examples of Synonyms for tangle
Noun
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Multiple helpers can slow response during urgent scams and create confusion when fast decisions matter.—
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The category confusion continued this year.—
Verb
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At the landfill site dozens of rescuers scrambled overnight in search of people trapped.—
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How much is a trapping license in Kentucky?—
Verb
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String one through the smaller wreath, and knot it; secure to the window frame with a nail.—
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An attendant shields the horse from the sun with a large umbrella as others knot its mane into cornrows and adorn the animal’s leg with an ornament.—
Noun
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Freezing fog makes driving, boating, flying, and other forms of transportation particularly hazardous.—
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Streetlights flickered before large parts of the city were plunged into darkness, as a thick fog settled over the streets and temperatures plummeted to –5 degrees Celsius (23 degrees Fahrenheit).—
Cite this Entry
“Tangle.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/tangle. Accessed 13 Jan. 2026.
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