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Synonyms

tangled

American  
[tang-guhld] / ˈtæŋ gəld /

adjective

  1. snarled, interlaced, or mixed up.

    tangled thread.

  2. very complicated, intricate, or involved.

    tangled bureaucratic procedures.

Etymology

Origin of tangled

First recorded in 1580–90; tangle 1 + -ed 2

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.

“They have more resources to make good choices, hopefully, than a lot of folks do who get themselves tangled up in really bad subprime auto financing,” Van Alst said.

From Salon • Mar. 30, 2026

F1 finds itself in something of a tangled web.

From BBC • Mar. 29, 2026

Pahouja got tangled up in one ill-timed venture.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 26, 2026

"They did so through a tangled web of lies, obfuscation, and concealment."

From Barron's • Mar. 20, 2026

“Everything in the world should have a destiny. And come together and get all intertwined and tangled with our own destinies.”

From "Rump: The (Fairly) True Story of Rumpelstilskin" by Liesl Shurtliff

Definitions 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.