as in complicated
having many parts or aspects that are usually interrelated
it helps to have a lawyer to sort out the tangled contracts that home buyers typically have to contend with
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in trapped
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 knotted
to twist together into a usually confused mass
that darn cat tangled the yarn I was trying to knit with
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of tangled
The New York Times News Service Syndicate, San Diego Union-Tribune, 30 Dec. 2025
No plugs, tangled cords, or dirty hands.
—IEEE Spectrum, 30 Dec. 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 tangled
Adjective
An artist drew a tangled ribbon on his right arm, the diagram of a protein called Piezo.
—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 tangled
Adjective
-
But, the good news is that cleaning shower grout isn't complicated.—
-
So there are a lot of complicated emotions and a mixture of emotions happening, as well as gestures.—
Verb
-
Contacts can cause those corneal abrasions that provide the pathogen with a point of entry; acanthamoeba can also hitch a ride on the surface of a lens or become trapped between a contact and the eye, making burrowing deeper possible.—
-
Sad numbers are thus trapped in a loop from which there is no escape.—
Verb
-
The score was knotted at 30 after 12 minutes, and the Warriors led 69-64 at halftime.—
-
Batherson, a defender, scored her first career goal and knotted the game at 2-all four minutes into the final period on a power play — with another assist from Pannek and one from Kendall Cooper — her third.—
Adjective
-
Visharukh’s shrine to Khan is just one thread in an intricate tapestry of fandom.—
-
Handmade in Japan, Akoni styles often feature titanium, plus proprietary hinges, screws, side shields, and adjustable temples that echo the intricate inner workings of timepieces.—
Verb
-
Mark Ruffalo, as a grieving husband leading the task force, and Tom Pelphrey, as a grieving brother enmeshed in robbery, are amazing as two men who would and should be friends and allies in a better world.—
-
Aside from his Disney firing, Paul’s career has been enmeshed in controversy over the years.—
Adjective
-
These are common but complicate long-term planning for federal agencies.—
-
Despite differing views on a variety of security issues, the group, like Gilpatric’s, reached a clear consensus: nuclear proliferation by any additional country would diminish U.S. power, complicate strategic planning, and increase the likelihood of nuclear use, accidents, and disasters.—
Adjective
-
British officials downplayed the pause as temporary, insisting momentum would resume amid complex negotiations, but the impasse signals broader frustrations with Europe’s regulatory posture toward American innovation, market access, and economic sovereignty.—
-
Most of its joints can rotate fully, giving it flexibility for tight or complex spaces.—
Cite this Entry
“Tangled.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/tangled. Accessed 13 Jan. 2026.
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share