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tangle

verb · noun

Simple meaning

To mix together or intertwine.

Pronunciation

Say it like this:

tangguhl

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US device voice
IPA pronunciation (US)

ˈtæŋɡəl

This word is pronounced essentially the same in American and British English, so one transcription covers both.

IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) is a standard way of writing speech sounds.

Word Review

Definition

Everyday modern meanings first, grouped by part of speech.

verb

  1. transitive

    To mix together or intertwine.

  2. intransitivefigurative

    To enter into an argument, conflict, dispute, or fight.

  3. intransitive

    To become mixed together or intertwined.

  4. transitive

    To catch and hold.

noun

  1. A complicated or confused state or condition.

  2. An argument, conflict, dispute, or fight.

  3. Any large type of seaweed, especially a species of Laminaria.

  4. in the plural

    An instrument consisting essentially of an iron bar to which are attached swabs, or bundles of frayed rope, or other similar substances, used to capture starfishes, sea urchins, and other similar creatures living at the bottom of the sea.

  5. A form of art which consists of sections filled with repetitive patterns.

  6. A barangay of Mexico, Pampanga, Philippines.

Word at a Glance

Difficulty
C2 · Proficient (estimated)
Frequency
Uncommon
Typical Use
Primarily written

Word Aura™

How this word commonly comes across.

Aura for this meaning

This meaning: To mix together or intertwine.

Used this way, tangle is a reasonably familiar word that usually carries little praise or criticism of its own. It usually sounds natural in a wide range of settings.

Emotional tone
Neutral
Formality
Neutral
Intensity
Not strongly marked
How common
Moderately common
Connotation
No strong connotation
Usage feel
Neutral and straightforward

Word Aura describes common impressions, not a measurement. Tone changes with sentence, speaker, relationship and situation.

More ways to use tangle

  • “They carved their way through the tangle of vines.”noun

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Common Patterns and Combinations

How this word naturally appears with others.

china tangletangle formation

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Word Family

Related forms, grouped by how they connect.

Inflected forms

Grammatical variations of the same word.

  • tangledadjectiveInflected form

    In a confused mass.

Compound terms

Established multiword terms.

  • tangle orchidnounCompound term

    An orchid of the genus Plectorrhiza having tangled roots and long wiry stems bearing lax racemes of small fragrant green flowers.

  • tangle withverbCompound term

    Get involved in or with.

  • sea tanglenounCompound term

    Any of various kelps especially of the genus Laminaria.

More about this wordSynonyms, forms, origin

Synonyms

Sense: complicated or confused state or condition

ravel

Antonyms

Sense: to mix together or intertwine

untangle

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Dictionary data from Wiktionary via the Free Dictionary API. Simple meanings, combinations and word intelligence are built from verified reference data, no AI is used to load this page.