Dictionary
1. (
n.) To unite or knit together confusedly; to interweave or interlock, as threads, so as to make it difficult to unravel the knot; to entangle; to ravel.
2. (n.) To involve; to ensnare; to entrap; as, to be tangled in lies.
3. (v. i.) To be entangled or united confusedly; to get in a tangle.
4. (n.) Any large blackish seaweed, especially the Laminaria saccharina. See Kelp.
5. (n.) A knot of threads, or other thing, united confusedly, or so interwoven as not to be easily disengaged; a snarl; as, hair or yarn in tangles; a tangle of vines and briers. Used also figuratively.
6. (n.) 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.
Thesaurus
Chinese puzzle Gordian knot Rube Goldberg contraption a outrance absorb allure bag bait the hook ball up bandy with battle battle it out birdlime bump heads burden can of worms catch catch out catch up catch up in coil come up against complex complexity complicate complication concern confound confuse confusion contend with cope with cramp cripple cross swords with cumber decoy disagree with dispute draw in embarrass embrangle embroil encumber engage engage with enmesh ensnare ensnarl entangle entanglement entoil entrammel entrap entwine enweb exchange shots fetter fight against fight like devils fight with foul foul up gin gnarl go to loggerheads grapple with hamper hamstring handicap harpoon have it out hobble hook hook in impede implicate interest interlace intertwine intertwist interweave inveigle involve jam jumble jungle kink knot labyrinth lame land lasso lime lock horns louse up lumber lure maze meander measure swords with medley mesh mess mess up mishmash mix up mix-up morass muck muck up muddle nail net noose perplex press down puzzle ramify ravel rope sack saddle with scramble screw up settle it shackle shuffle skein snafu snag snake pit snare snarl snarl up sniggle spear spread the toils strive with struggle with suck into take tangle up with tangle with tangled skein tilt with toil trammel trap trip try conclusions with twist web webwork weigh down wheels within wheels wilderness wind wrestle with