verb
tangle
TANG-guhl
verb
1
To twist together into a knotted, confused mass.
"Her hair tangled badly in the wind."
"The fishing lines tangled together in the tackle box."
2
To get into a fight, argument, or dispute with someone.
"He didn't want to tangle with his boss over the schedule."
noun
1
A twisted, knotted mass, or a confused, complicated situation.
"She spent an hour combing out the tangle in her hair."
"The contract turned into a legal tangle."
How to Use Tangle
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishTo twist into a knotted mess, or to get caught up in a dispute — also used as a noun for the resulting knot or mess.
Common pairings
tangle with someone
a tangle of wires
get tangled up
Word Forms
tangled past tense, tangles plural, tangles plural, tangles singular
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Etymology
From Middle English tanglen, likely of North Germanic origin, related to Old Norse words for seaweed and disorder.