1
as in to knot
to twist together into a usually confused mass
in the process of taking down the Christmas tree, we managed to entangle the string of lights into a hopeless mess of wires
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to trap
to catch or hold as if in a net
the young runaway gradually became entangled in a web of lies
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in to complicate
to make complex or difficult
the history of Alexander the Great is entangled by variant accounts of his exploits
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of entangle
Right now, Mercury and Jupiter are entangled across the areas of your chart that highlight partnerships and, contrarily, alone time.
—
Tarot.com, Hartford Courant, 30 Jan. 2026
The power grid— privatized, mismanaged, and politically entangled—fails with alarming regularity.
—Israel Melendez Ayala, Time, 30 Jan. 2026
What’s more, vessel strikes are the leading cause of death of these whales, and more than 85% of right whales have been entangled in fishing gear over their lifespan.
—Kristi Swartz, AJC.com, 30 Jan. 2026
This past summer, Sweeney was entangled in another brand controversy.
—Charisma Madarang, Rolling Stone, 27 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for entangle
Tarot.com, Hartford Courant, 30 Jan. 2026
The power grid— privatized, mismanaged, and politically entangled—fails with alarming regularity.
—Israel Melendez Ayala, Time, 30 Jan. 2026
What’s more, vessel strikes are the leading cause of death of these whales, and more than 85% of right whales have been entangled in fishing gear over their lifespan.
—Kristi Swartz, AJC.com, 30 Jan. 2026
This past summer, Sweeney was entangled in another brand controversy.
—Charisma Madarang, Rolling Stone, 27 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for entangle
Recent Examples of Synonyms for entangle
Verb
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But a pair of power-play goals by the Predators, and a bank shot off the arm of Gustavsson by former Gophers standout Erik Haula had the teams knotted 3-all after the initial 20 minutes.—
Jess Myers,
Twin Cities,
5 Feb. 2026
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The teams were knotted at one goal apiece through the first three rounds of the shootout before Marchand scored the go-ahead goal, and Bobrovsky ended it with a save on the shot by Mittelstadt.—
Adam Lichtenstein,
Sun Sentinel,
5 Feb. 2026
Verb
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He’s trapped in rolling crises of his own making and is struggling to sell voters on the idea of a strong American economy.—
Ben Smith,
semafor.com,
9 Feb. 2026
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By cutting so much of Brontë’s sprawling novel down to the quick, by focusing so squarely on just Cathy and Heathcliff, we’re trapped only in the immediacy of their doomed affection, which is never allowed to be hot enough to make the entire effort come together, let alone come undone.—
Kate Erbland,
IndieWire,
9 Feb. 2026
Verb
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At 5,300 years old, any of those explanations complicates the conventional picture of how sophisticated Predynastic Egyptian material science actually was.—
Ryan Brennan,
Kansas City Star,
13 Feb. 2026
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Her recovery was complicated by the routine obstacles that govern all aspects of life at Dilley.—
Mike Hixenbaugh,
NBC news,
13 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Clothes that get tangled during their cycle usually ends up requiring extra drying time, so having this fabric shaken out can promote quicker sessions since air is allowed to disperse evenly (which also helps with the wrinkles).—
Ashlyn Needham,
Southern Living,
13 Feb. 2026
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Diabate was whistled for a foul after he got tangled up inside the paint with Duren.—
Roderick Boone,
Charlotte Observer,
11 Feb. 2026
Verb
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On Wall Street, the recovery for bitcoin helped stocks of companies enmeshed in the crypto economy.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
6 Feb. 2026
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The tumbling prices dragged down stocks of companies enmeshed in the crypto industry.—
Stan Choe,
Chicago Tribune,
5 Feb. 2026
Verb
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The powerful prosper as inequality grows Weakened basic human rights are intertwined with hardships for many in the region.—
Elaine Kurtenbach,
Los Angeles Times,
5 Feb. 2026
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For a founder whose identity is intertwined with building software and championing AI progress, the realization his own product could outperform his ideas landed with unusual force.—
Nick Lichtenberg,
Fortune,
4 Feb. 2026
Verb
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The vehicle caught on fire, entrapping the boy, who was pronounced dead at the scene.—
Michael Guise,
CBS News,
6 Feb. 2026
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Traffickers rely on guns for intimidation, control and protection of their criminal proceeds along with drugs to entrap and manipulate victims, launder money and commit various tax crimes, Raybould said.—
Shambhavi Rimal,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
3 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Across 240 pages, Landfair describes how she became ensnared in Kelly’s web and how the singer kept her trapped there for more than a decade through a persistent and dizzying combination of love-bombing, control, secrecy, and abuse.—
Cheyenne Roundtree,
Rolling Stone,
31 Jan. 2026
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Ortiz, who did not respond to a request for comment, had been ensnared in some controversy during his time in City Hall specifically related to Carollo and code enforcement.—
Tess Riski
January 30,
Miami Herald,
30 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Entangle.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/entangle. Accessed 15 Feb. 2026.
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