entangle

verb

en·​tan·​gle in-ˈtaŋ-gəl How to pronounce entangle (audio)
en-
entangled; entangling; entangles

transitive verb

1
a
: to wrap or twist together : interweave
b
2
a
: to involve in a perplexing or troublesome situation
became entangled in a lawsuit
b
: to make complicated
the story is entangled with legends
entangler noun

Examples of entangle in a Sentence

in the process of taking down the Christmas tree, we managed to entangle the string of lights into a hopeless mess of wires the young runaway gradually became entangled in a web of lies
Recent Examples on the Web Reese had been battling Cardoso for position under the basket all day, arms entangling, bodies bumping. Louisa Thomas, The New Yorker, 16 Mar. 2024 An Indiana family that moved to the Commonwealth of Dominica to escape Covid-19 mandates and soon wound up entangled in the legal system there has been deported from the eastern Caribbean island. Alexandria Burris, The Indianapolis Star, 13 Mar. 2024 Russia hopes to have the railway up and running within a few years, but the project has been entangled in the complicated geopolitics of the region. Ivan Nechepurenko Sergey Ponomarev, New York Times, 13 Mar. 2024 Almost 90% of them have been entangled at least once. Joshua Reed, The Conversation, 13 Mar. 2024 But some of his priorities and Congress’s spending debates have become entangled with U.S. support for Ukraine and Israel and immigration debates at the Mexican border. Marianna Sotomayor, Washington Post, 6 Mar. 2024 The Marine Mammal Stranding Center has rescued a grey seal pup from a New Jersey beach after it was found entangled in plastic. Li Cohen, CBS News, 21 Feb. 2024 Humpbacks are also vulnerable to ship strikes and getting entangled in fishing gear off the West Coast. Lauren Sommer, NPR, 29 Feb. 2024 Driven by a fascination for violence, he gets entangled in far-right extremist groups at the very opposite of his father’s values. Scott Roxborough, The Hollywood Reporter, 13 Feb. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'entangle.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, from Anglo-French entangler — more at tangle entry 1

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of entangle was in the 15th century

Dictionary Entries Near entangle

Cite this Entry

“Entangle.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/entangle. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

entangle

verb
en·​tan·​gle in-ˈtaŋ-gəl How to pronounce entangle (audio)
1
: to make tangled or confused
2
: to involve in a tangle or a confusing or difficult situation
entanglement
-mənt
noun

More from Merriam-Webster on entangle

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