tangled

adjective

tan·​gled ˈtaŋ-gəld 

1

: existing in or giving the appearance of a state of utter disorder

2

: very involved : exceedingly complex

Synonyms

• baroque
• byzantine
• complex
• complicate
• complicated
• convoluted
• daedal
• elaborate
• intricate
• involute
• involved
• knotty
• labyrinthian
• labyrinthine
• sophisticated

Examples of tangled in a Sentence

it helps to have a lawyer to sort out the tangled contracts that home buyers typically have to contend with

Recent Examples on the Web

In practice, the framework often results in a tangled web of policies, workflows, and manual interventions. —Tony Bradley, Forbes.com, 28 Mar. 2025

The collective tension as the game went on, and the poles became taller and more tangled, made every move exciting. —James Palmer, Smithsonian Magazine, 23 Dec. 2024

Her free-associative lyrics are either mesmerizingly strange or plainly hilarious, and her tangled, clanging riffs have an oddly soothing effect. —Spencer Kornhaber, The Atlantic, 17 Dec. 2024

Ahead of the indictment, the mayor his associates were being entangled in a tangled web of federal investigations involving subpoenas, raids, and turmoil within city hall. —Emily Zemler, Rolling Stone, 30 Sep. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1596, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for tangled

• angled
• dangled
• fangled
• jangled
• mangled
• spangled
• strangled
• wrangled
• disentangled
• entangled
• newfangled
• untangled