Meanings
present singular third person entangles · participle present entangling · participle past entangled · past entangled · alternative entangel · alternative intangle
- transitiveTo tangle up; to twist or interweave in such a manner as not to be easily separated.
The dolphins became entangled in a fishing net.
Synonyms: enmesh, ensnare, ensnarl, enmesh, ensnare, ensnarl, foul, implicate · Antonyms: disentangle, unsnarl, disentangle, feeze, tease out, unravel, unsnarl, untangle
- figurativelytransitiveTo ensnare.
But when I turn away, / Thou, willing me to stay, / Wooest not, nor vainly wranglest; / But, looking fixedly the while, / All my bounding heart entanglest, / In a golden-netted smile; […]
1842, Alfred Tennyson, “Madeleine”, in Poems. […], volume I, London: Edward Moxon, […], →OCLC, stanza 3, page 19Synonyms: perplex, bewilder, puzzle, addle, baffle, vex, lose, embroil · Antonyms: disentangle, resolve, unpuzzle, absolve, decipher, get to the bottom of, iron out, meliorate
- transitiveTo involve in difficulties or embarrassments; to embarrass, puzzle, or distract by adverse or perplexing circumstances, interests, demands, etc.; to hamper; to bewilder.
The story entangles the facts with value judgments.
Synonyms: implicate, involve · Antonyms: disentangle
Synonyms & antonyms
verbTo tangle up; to twist or interweave in such a manner as not to be easily separated.
verbTo involve in such complications as to render extrication difficult.
verbTo ensnare.
verbTo involve in difficulties or embarrassments; to embarrass, puzzle, or distract by adverse or perplexing circumstances, interests, demands, etc.; to hamper; to bewilder.
More synonyms by meaning
verbtwist together or entwine into a confusing mass
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
- Middle Englishentanglen“to involve [someone] in difficulty”, “to embarrass”
- Englishentangle
From Middle English entanglen (“to involve [someone] in difficulty”, “to embarrass”). Equivalent to en- + tangle.
More words from Middle English
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Bulgarian вплитам
- вплитам (vplitam)twist or interweave
Catalan enredar
- enredarinvolve in complications
Czech zaplést, zapříst
- zaplésttwist or interweave
- zapřístinvolve in complications
- zapléstinvolve in complications
Danish indvikle, forvikle
- indvikletwist or interweave
- forvikleinvolve in complications
Dutch verwarren, verknopen
- verwarrentwist or interweave
- verknopentwist or interweave
- verstrengelentwist or interweave
- verstrikkeninvolve in complications
- verwikkeleninvolve in complications
Esperanto impliki, impliki
- implikitwist or interweave
- implikiinvolve in difficulties
- implikiinvolve in complications
Finnish kietoa, kietoa
- kietoatwist or interweave
- kietoainvolve in difficulties
- sotkeainvolve in difficulties
- kietoainvolve in complications
- sotkeainvolve in complications
French intriquer, empêtrer
- intriquertwist or interweave
- empêtrertwist or interweave
- tortillertwist or interweave
German verwickeln
- verwickelntwist or interweave
Italian ingarbugliare, intrigare
- ingarbugliaretwist or interweave
- intrigaretwist or interweave
- confonderetwist or interweave
Latin obrētiō, illaqueō
- obrētiōtwist or interweave
- illaqueōinvolve in complications
Lithuanian įpainioti, įpainioti
- įpainiotiinvolve in difficulties
- įpainiotiinvolve in complications
Māori rore, rore
- roretwist or interweave
- roreinvolve in difficulties
Norwegian innvikle
- innvikletwist or interweave
Polish supłać, oplątywać
- supłaćtwist or interweave
- oplątywaćtwist or interweave
- oplątaćtwist or interweave
- splątywaćtwist or interweave
- splątaćtwist or interweave
- wikłaćinvolve in difficulties
- uwikłaćinvolve in difficulties
- wplątywaćinvolve in difficulties
- wplątaćinvolve in difficulties
- wikłaćinvolve in complications
- uwikłaćinvolve in complications
- wplątywaćinvolve in complications
Romanian zăpăci, încurca
- zăpăcitwist or interweave
- încurcatwist or interweave
- încurcainvolve in difficulties
- a vârî în buclucinvolve in complications
- încurcainvolve in complications
Scottish Gaelic amail, amail
- amailtwist or interweave
- amailinvolve in difficulties
- amailinvolve in complications
Slovak zamotať, zapliesť
- zamotaťtwist or interweave
- zapliesťtwist or interweave
- popliesťinvolve in complications
- dopliesťinvolve in complications
Spanish enredar, enmarañar
- enredartwist or interweave
- enmarañarinvolve in difficulties
- intrincarinvolve in complications
Turkish dolanmak, takılmak
- dolanmaktwist or interweave
- takılmaktwist or interweave
Cite this entry
entangle. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/entangle
“entangle.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/entangle. Accessed November 2, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “entangle,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/entangle.
Source: entangle on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.