Standard Lemma guide

entangle

verb · 6 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • UK: /ɪnˈtaŋ.ɡəl/
  • UK: /ɛnˈtaŋ.ɡəl/
  • UK: [ɛnˈtaŋ.ɡl̩]
  • Southern-England: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • General-American: /ɪnˈtæŋ.ɡəl/
  • General-American:
  • CMU ARPABET: EH0 N T AE1 NG G AH0 L Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

verb

Meaning 1

To tangle up; to twist or interweave in such a manner as not to be easily separated.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: transitive

Examples

  • The dolphins became entangled in a fishing net.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: enmesh, ensnare, ensnarl, entangle, foul, implicate, imply, involve, mat, ravel, snarl, tangle

Antonyms: disentangle, unsnarl, feeze, tease out, unravel, untangle

2

verb

Meaning 2

To involve in such complications as to render extrication difficult.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: transitive

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: disentangle

3

verb

Meaning 3

To ensnare.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: figuratively, transitive

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: perplex, bewilder, puzzle, addle, baffle, vex, lose, embroil, stick, stump, baffound, bamboozle, bedevil, befuddle, throw, bemud, bemuse, bumfuzzle, complicate, confound, confuddle, confuse, confuzzle, dazzle, discombobulate, disconcert, blind, dumbfound, entangle, ferhoodle, flabagast, flabbergast, flabbergaster, flurry, fluster, flummox, fuddle, jumble, knot, mix up, muddle, muddy, ravel

Antonyms: disentangle, resolve, unpuzzle, absolve, decipher, get to the bottom of, iron out, meliorate, puzzle out, ravel, reason out, riddle, sleuth, solve, tease out, think out, unravel, unriddle, unsolve, upsolve, work out, Any from Thesaurus:untangle

4

verb

Meaning 4

To involve in difficulties or embarrassments; to embarrass, puzzle, or distract by adverse or perplexing circumstances, interests, demands, etc.; to hamper; to bewilder.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: transitive

Examples

  • The story entangles the facts with value judgments.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: implicate, involve

Antonyms: disentangle

5

verb

Meaning 5

twist together or entwine into a confusing mass

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • The child entangled the cord

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: tangle, mat, snarl

Antonyms: disentangle

Broader terms: twist, twine, distort

Narrower terms: felt, enmesh, mesh, ensnarl

6

verb

Meaning 6

entrap

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • Our people should not be mired in the past

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: mire

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: involve

History

Etymology

From Middle English entanglen (“to involve [someone] in difficulty”, “to embarrass”). Equivalent to en- + tangle.

Across languages

Translations

77 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Bulgarian: вплитам (vplitam) — twist or interweave
  • Czech: zaplést — twist or interweave
  • Danish: indvikle — twist or interweave
  • Dutch: verwarren — twist or interweave
  • Dutch: verknopen — twist or interweave
  • Dutch: verstrengelen — twist or interweave
  • Esperanto: impliki — twist or interweave
  • Finnish: kietoa — twist or interweave
  • French: intriquer — twist or interweave
  • French: empêtrer — twist or interweave
  • French: tortiller — twist or interweave
  • Galician: enredar — twist or interweave
  • Galician: ensarillar — twist or interweave
  • Galician: embrollar — twist or interweave
  • German: verwickeln — twist or interweave
  • Italian: ingarbugliare — twist or interweave
  • Italian: intrigare — twist or interweave
  • Italian: confondere — twist or interweave
  • Latin: obrētiō — twist or interweave
  • Māori: rore — twist or interweave
  • Norwegian: innvikle — twist or interweave
  • Polish: supłać — twist or interweave
  • Polish: oplątywać — twist or interweave
  • Polish: oplątać — twist or interweave
  • Polish: splątywać — twist or interweave
  • Polish: splątać — twist or interweave
  • Romanian: zăpăci — twist or interweave
  • Romanian: încurca — twist or interweave
  • Scottish Gaelic: amail — twist or interweave
  • Slovak: zamotať — twist or interweave
  • Slovak: zapliesť — twist or interweave
  • Spanish: enredar — twist or interweave
  • Turkish: dolanmak — twist or interweave
  • Turkish: takılmak — twist or interweave
  • Catalan: enredar — involve in complications
  • Czech: zapříst — involve in complications
  • Czech: zaplést — involve in complications
  • Danish: forvikle — involve in complications
  • Dutch: verstrikken — involve in complications
  • Dutch: verwikkelen — involve in complications
  • Esperanto: impliki — involve in complications
  • Finnish: kietoa — involve in complications
  • Finnish: sotkea — involve in complications
  • Galician: enredar — involve in complications
  • Galician: ensarillar — involve in complications
  • Galician: embrollar — involve in complications
  • Latin: illaqueō — involve in complications
  • Lithuanian: įpainioti — involve in complications
  • Polish: wikłać — involve in complications
  • Polish: uwikłać — involve in complications
  • Polish: wplątywać — involve in complications
  • Polish: wplątać — involve in complications
  • Romanian: a vârî în bucluc — involve in complications
  • Romanian: încurca — involve in complications
  • Scottish Gaelic: amail — involve in complications
  • Slovak: popliesť — involve in complications
  • Slovak: dopliesť — involve in complications
  • Spanish: intrincar — involve in complications
  • Azerbaijani: qatmaq — involve in difficulties
  • Azerbaijani: qarışdırmaq — involve in difficulties
  • Azerbaijani: qoşmaq — involve in difficulties
  • Azerbaijani: calamaq — involve in difficulties
  • Esperanto: impliki — involve in difficulties
  • Finnish: kietoa — involve in difficulties
  • Finnish: sotkea — involve in difficulties
  • Galician: enredar — involve in difficulties
  • Galician: ensarillar — involve in difficulties
  • Galician: embrollar — involve in difficulties
  • Lithuanian: įpainioti — involve in difficulties
  • Māori: rore — involve in difficulties
  • Polish: wikłać — involve in difficulties
  • Polish: uwikłać — involve in difficulties
  • Polish: wplątywać — involve in difficulties
  • Polish: wplątać — involve in difficulties
  • Romanian: încurca — involve in difficulties
  • Scottish Gaelic: amail — involve in difficulties
  • Spanish: enmarañar — involve in difficulties