Synonyms for
Tangled
Definition
Twisted together in a messy knot or confused mass.
Synonyms & similar words
sweepup
tangle
unravel
disentangle
involved
byzantine
knot
ravel
unsnarl
dragin
mat
convoluted
sweep
untangled
entangle
snarl
drag
unknot
embroil
knotty
tousle
tortuous
dishevel
knotted
matted
twisted
jumbled
confused
disordered
chaotic
messy
fouled
entwined
interlaced
interwoven
intertwined
raveled
embroiled
involved
complicated
impenetrable
inextricable
Synonyms by register
Formal
Literary
Antonyms
Common collocations
- tangled hair
- tangled up
- tangled mess
- tangled web
- tangled in
- tangled roots
- tangled situation
Word family
Usage note
Often used to describe physical objects like hair or ropes, but can also describe abstract concepts like emotions or situations. Be mindful of context as it can imply disorder or complexity.
Compare "tangled" with another word →
Example sentences
- The vines were so tangled, we had to use scissors to cut them.
- Her hair was tangled after a windy day at the beach.
- The fishing line got tangled in the weeds.
- The wires in the computer were all tangled up.
- The yarn was tangled and impossible to knit with.
Quotes
The web of our life is of a mingled yarn, good and ill together. - William Shakespeare
“Life is a tangle of twisting paths. Some short. Some long. There are dead ends. And there are choices. And wrong turns, and detours, and yield signs, and instruction booklets, and star maps, and happiness, and loneliness. And friends. And sisters. And love. And poetry.” - Laurie Halse Anderson
“The more we try to disentangle ourselves, the more we become tangled.” - Euginia Triantafyllou