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Tangle

/ˈtæŋ.ɡəl/

A tangled twisted mass.

Full Dictionary Entry

📖 Definitions of "Tangle"

noun

1
A tangled twisted mass.
2
A complicated or confused state or condition.
"I tried to sort through this tangle and got nowhere."
3
An argument, conflict, dispute, or fight.
4
A region of the projection of a knot such that the knot crosses its perimeter exactly four times.

verb

1
To become mixed together or intertwined
"Her hair was tangled from a day in the wind."
2
To enter into an argument, conflict, dispute, or fight
"Don't tangle with someone three times your size."
3
To mix together or intertwine
4
To catch and hold; to ensnare.

🔄 Synonyms of "Tangle"

13 synonyms found via WordNet and Google Books.

Word	Definition
snarlnoun	(intransitive) To growl angrily by gnashing or baring the teeth; to gnarl; to utter grumbling sounds.
ravelnoun	(transitive) To unwind (a reel of thread, a skein of yarn, etc.); to pull apart (cloth, a seam, etc.); to fray, to unpick, to unravel; also, to pull out (a string of yarn, a thread, etc.) from a piece of fabric, or a skein or reel.
sweepnoun	(transitive) To clean (a surface) by means of a stroking motion of a broom or brush.
dragverb	(physics, uncountable) Resistance of a fluid to something moving through it.
knotnoun	A looping of a piece of string or of any other long, flexible material that cannot be untangled without passing one or both ends of the material through its loops.
tousleverb	To put into disorder; to tumble; to touse; to muss.
matnoun	A flat piece of coarse material used for wiping one’s feet, or as a decorative or protective floor covering.
complicationnoun	The state of being complicated; intricate or confused relation of parts; complexity.
embroilverb	To cause (someone) to be drawn into or involved in a difficult situation or state of contention.
dishevelverb	(transitive) To disarrange or loosen (hair, clothing, etc.).
entangleverb	(transitive) To tangle up; to twist or interweave in such a manner as not to be easily separated.
sweep upverb	(ambitransitive) To clean by sweeping.
drag inverb	(transitive) To get into a course of action by forceful means.

↔️ Antonyms of "Tangle"

Words with the opposite meaning.

Word	Definition
unravelverb	(transitive) (figurative) (also reflexive) To clear (something) from complication or difficulty; to investigate and solve (a mystery, a problem, etc.); to disentangle, to unfold, to work out.
straighten outverb	(transitive, idiomatic) To correct or rectify.
disentangleverb	(transitive) To free something from entanglement; to extricate or unknot.
untangleverb	(transitive) To remove tangles or knots from.
unscrambleverb	(transitive) To put into order or restore to order.
unknotverb	(transitive) To unfasten (a knot).
unpickverb	(sewing) To undo sewing stitches.
unsnarlverb	To remove or undo a snarl or tangle.

💡 Words with a Similar Meaning to "Tangle"

Found via reverse dictionary — words that share a conceptual meaning.

Word	Definition
entangleverb	(transitive) To tangle up; to twist or interweave in such a manner as not to be easily separated.
ravelnoun	(figuratively) A confusing, intricate, or perplexing situation; a complication.
snarlnoun	The act of snarling; a growl; a surly or peevish expression; an angry contention.
embroilnoun	To cause (someone) to be drawn into or involved in a difficult situation or state of contention.
sweepnoun	A single action of sweeping.
sweep upverb	(ambitransitive) To clean by sweeping.
touslenoun	The action of ruffling or setting in disorder.
complicationnoun	The state of being complicated; intricate or confused relation of parts; complexity.
drag inverb	(transitive) To get into a course of action by forceful means.
knotnoun	A looping of a piece of string or of any other long, flexible material that cannot be untangled without passing one or both ends of the material through its loops.
matnoun	A flat piece of coarse material used for wiping one’s feet, or as a decorative or protective floor covering.
dishevelverb	(transitive) To disarrange or loosen (hair, clothing, etc.).
dragnoun	(physics, uncountable) Resistance of a fluid to something moving through it.
entanglementnoun	The state or condition of being entangled; intricate and confused involution.
enmeshverb	To mesh; to tangle or interweave in such a manner as not to be easily separated, particularly in a mesh- or net-like manner.
mazenoun	A labyrinth; a puzzle consisting of a complicated network of paths or passages, the aim of which is to find one's way through.
overlappingnoun	The situation in which things overlap.
hotchpotchnoun	(property law) The blending together of property so as to achieve equal division, especially in the case of divorce or intestacy.
intermingling	Intermingling, or heterophily, from a sociological perspective includes the various forms of interactions between individuals that go against a particular society's cultural norms.
muddlenoun	A mixture; a confusion; a garble.