# tangle

/ˈtæŋɡəɫ/ (US) · /tˈæŋɡəl/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/tangle
Updated: 2026-08-27

## Senses

### 1. twisted mass

noun · CEFR B2

a messy group of things like hair, string, or branches that are twisted together.

For teachers: a confused, intertwined mass of fibers, hair, or other long strands.

- She spent twenty minutes trying to brush a large tangle out of her hair.
- The old fishing nets lay in a salt-crusted tangle on the deck, making it impossible for the crew to move quickly during the storm.

### 2. confused situation

noun · CEFR B2

a complicated situation or set of problems that is difficult to understand or fix.

For teachers: a state of confusion or a complicated, messy situation.

- The lawyer had to sort through a tangle of legal documents to find the truth.
- The merger resulted in a bureaucratic tangle that delayed the product launch by several months.

### 4. mathematics

noun · CEFR C2 · Technical

a specific way that strings or lines cross each other in a mathematical shape.

For teachers: A region of a knot projection where the knot crosses the boundary exactly four times.

- The professor explained how a tangle is used to study the geometry of knots.
- In knot theory, an n-tangle consists of n arcs in a 3-ball whose endpoints lie on the boundary sphere.

### 5. to twist together

verb · CEFR B2

to become twisted together in a messy way, or to make something do this.

For teachers: to become intertwined or to cause something to become a confused mass.

- The headphone wires always tangle when I put them in my pocket.
- The kite string began to tangle in the upper branches of the oak tree as the wind died down.

### 6. to fight or argue

verb · CEFR C1 · Informal

to get involved in an argument or a fight with someone.

For teachers: to enter into a conflict, dispute, or physical fight with an opponent.

- I wouldn't tangle with him; he is the best debater in the school.
- The small startup was hesitant to tangle with the industry giant in a lengthy patent dispute.

Usage: Usually followed by the preposition 'with'.

## Examples

- My headphones are in a messy tangle.
- The kitten played with the yarn until it was a hopeless tangle of knots.
- The investigation revealed a dense tangle of financial records that took the forensic accountants months to untangle and understand.

---

From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.