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
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of entangle
At the time of her disappearance, Dulos and her husband Fotis were entangled in one of the most contentious divorce cases in Connecticut state history.
—
Lizz Schumer, People.com, 17 May 2025
However, migrating endangered humpback whales are now swimming in the same waters outside the Golden Gate strait where crabs are, and long lines of rope that fishermen traditionally use to pull up crab cages have entangled too many humpbacks.
—Elizabeth Cook, CBS News, 15 May 2025
He gets entangled in his tow-truck chain, dragged down the street, and the friction then sets him on fire.
—Gayle Sequeira, Vulture, 16 May 2025
But her time in public service became entangled with a private business.
—Verónica Egui Brito, Miami Herald, 13 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for entangle
Lizz Schumer, People.com, 17 May 2025
However, migrating endangered humpback whales are now swimming in the same waters outside the Golden Gate strait where crabs are, and long lines of rope that fishermen traditionally use to pull up crab cages have entangled too many humpbacks.
—Elizabeth Cook, CBS News, 15 May 2025
He gets entangled in his tow-truck chain, dragged down the street, and the friction then sets him on fire.
—Gayle Sequeira, Vulture, 16 May 2025
But her time in public service became entangled with a private business.
—Verónica Egui Brito, Miami Herald, 13 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for entangle
Recent Examples of Synonyms for entangle
Verb
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Her halter-style dress featured a twisted scarf neckline that draped across the chest and shoulders, while side cutouts — knotted on her left side — revealed her baby bump.—
Maggie Clancy,
Footwear News,
19 May 2025
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In the third quarter, the two sides traded two goals each to set up the dramatic final period that began with Iler knotting the score at 8-8 just 54 seconds in.—
Edward Lee,
Baltimore Sun,
18 Apr. 2025
Verb
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The vacuum’s efficient multi-layer filtration system traps airborne particles utilizing HEPA and foam filters, both of which are washable and reusable.—
Maggie Horton,
People.com,
27 May 2025
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The wounded included four children, one of whom had been trapped beneath the vehicle with three adults.—
Kwiyeon Ha,
Los Angeles Times,
27 May 2025
Verb
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One is the long-running foreclosure of 57-75 Pratt St. involving Shelbourne has complicated the leasing of prominent, vacant storefronts in those buildings.—
Kenneth R. Gosselin,
Hartford Courant,
1 June 2025
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But Lijn’s mechanized drama is a resolutely feminist one, a face-off between two cyborgs who both conjure and complicate the archetypes of the nature goddess and the murderous woman.—
Marina Isgro,
Artforum,
1 June 2025
Verb
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Meanwhile, nearly every link in the international supply chain is now tangled in tariffs, prompting swift retaliatory measures from Canada and China.—
Elena Bou,
Forbes.com,
27 May 2025
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The nylon bristles are angled to ensure that strands migrate to the side of the cleaner head rather than getting wrapped around or tangled in the brush bar.—
Brenda Stolyar,
Wired News,
22 May 2025
Verb
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Between 1500 and 1800, there was hardly a year when great powers weren’t enmeshed in some kind of war.—
Bryan Walsh,
Vox,
26 May 2025
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All the networks are enmeshed in related lawsuits against Lake and the White House.—
David Folkenflik,
NPR,
7 May 2025
Verb
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By now, the spiderweb invoked as the show’s title is pretty much in focus, with very different pieces in very different rooms nonetheless intertwined with one another.—
Christopher Knight,
Los Angeles Times,
4 June 2025
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Advertisement Advertisement The story of vodka’s rise in the U.S. was closely intertwined with Cold War-era cultural politics and shifting consumer tastes shaped by strategic marketing.—
Time,
Time,
4 June 2025
Verb
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Most horror flicks entrap their characters in one location or put them in some sort of unique, tense situation (think: satanic possession, or pissing off the wrong truck driver, attracting the wrong person, etc.), but in Final Destination, Death works with the great mundane canvas of ordinary life.—
Bilge Ebiri,
Vulture,
16 May 2025
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Early motherhood entraps them—and their children—in a bleak socioeconomic cycle that’s almost impossible to break.—
Elise Taylor,
Vogue,
30 Apr. 2025
Verb
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Harper, June 10 Image King of Ashes by S.A. Cosby The best-selling Southern crime novelist returns with a gripping story about a finance manager who, while visiting his injured father in Virginia, becomes slowly ensnared in his brother’s dangerous dealings with a vicious drug syndicate.—
Laura Thompson,
New York Times,
22 May 2025
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Young is now throwing his hat in the ring, defending Springsteen and Taylor Swift, who was ensnared in the fight.—
Anna Kaufman,
USA Today,
22 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Entangle.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/entangle. Accessed 10 Jun. 2025.
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