TANGLED Synonyms: 104 Similar and Opposite Words

tangled 1 of 2

adjective

ˈtaŋ-gəld

Definition of tangled

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

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

tangled

2 of 2

verb

past tense of tangle

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

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in knotted

to twist together into a usually confused mass that darn cat tangled the yarn I was trying to knit with

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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

Adjective

Sebold’s memoir later became a bestseller, and through a tangled series of events that began when producers decided to make a film version of the memoir, the book ultimately helped lead to Broadwater’s exoneration in 2021. — Joaquin Sapien, ProPublica, 17 July 2026 Declutter Your Jewelry Box or Ring Dish These can often become catch-alls for loose earring backs, tangled necklaces, and random coins. — Jamie Cuccinelli, Martha Stewart, 12 July 2026

Verb

When the diver surfaced, he was tangled in both the air hose and the anchor line. — Grethel Aguila, Miami Herald, 6 Aug. 2026 Rolling out of the pocket and surveying the field for receivers, Marr got tangled up by her own ankles. — Bennett Durando, Denver Post, 5 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for tangled

Recent Examples of Synonyms for tangled

Adjective

Officials said deep peat soil, limited water supplies, difficult access and strong winds have complicated efforts, even with three helicopters conducting aerial firefighting operations.

— ABC News, ABC News, 10 Aug. 2026
When given a complicated test, AI models (the industry term for the systems behind products like ChatGPT and Claude) find a way to maximize the score without doing the task the score was meant to measure.

— Craig S. Smith, Forbes.com, 9 Aug. 2026

Definition of complicated

Verb

Aid agencies consider the first 48 to 72 hours crucial for retrieving survivors, though that threshold can be extended if those trapped have access to food and water.

— CBS News, CBS News, 13 Aug. 2026
Local residents even helped rescue one of the young falcons using a bucket and a towel in late June when it was trapped in the Fox River.

— Addison Wright, Chicago Tribune, 13 Aug. 2026

Definition of trapped

Verb

The Argentine icon came off the bench in that match with the score knotted 1-1 and won the game with a spectacular curling free kick in stoppage time.

— Michelle Kaufman, Miami Herald, 4 Aug. 2026
Some sort of pink fabric was knotted up around where the ratchet strap was strung from the tree.

— Caitlin McGlade, Charlotte Observer, 22 July 2026

Definition of knotted

Adjective

The lab's advanced technology, including 64 Vicon cameras, allows for intricate action and dance choreography, even blending with AI for real-time animation, and has attracted international gaming projects.

— Hannah Abraham, Forbes.com, 8 Aug. 2026
Like Dante, Nick Tosches was an undaunted character whose tongue-twisting prose was an iconoclastic mash-up of realism and intricate, erudite lyricism.

— A.D. Amorosi, SPIN, 6 Aug. 2026

Definition of intricate

Adjective

The company very deliberately targets large enterprise customers, which have the biggest and most complicate supply chain ecosystems.

— David Prosser, Forbes.com, 29 July 2026
Wilcox noted that overlaps between substance use and suicide complicate reduction efforts.

— Danielle J. Brown, Baltimore Sun, 10 June 2026

Definition of complicate

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tangle

tangled

tanglement

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“Tangled.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/tangled. Accessed 14 Aug. 2026.

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Synonyms of tangled

adjective

verb

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