entangled

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en·tan·gle

(ĕn-tăng′gəl)

tr.v. en·tan·gled, en·tan·gling, en·tan·gles

1. To cause to become twisted together or caught in a snarl or entwining mass: The fishing lines became entangled. His foot was entangled in the wiring.

2. To involve in a complicated situation or in circumstances from which it is difficult to disengage: The country found itself entangled in a series of regional conflicts. She wanted to avoid relationships that might entangle her emotions. See Synonyms at catch.

3. Physics To cause (the quantum states of two or more objects) to become correlated in such a way that they remain correlated, even though the objects are separated spatially.

en·tan′gle·ment n.

en·tan′gler n.

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

entangled

(ɪnˈtæŋɡəld)

adj

1. caught in or as if in a tangle

2. involved in an undesirable situation from which it is difficult to escape: entangled in crime.

Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014

ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend:

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Adj.	1.	entangled - deeply involved especially in something complicated; "embroiled in the conflict"; "felt unwilling entangled in their affairs" embroiled involved - connected by participation or association or use; "we accomplished nothing, simply because of the large number of people involved"; "the problems involved"; "the involved muscles"; "I don't want to get involved"; "everyone involved in the bribery case has been identified"
	2.	entangled - twisted together in a tangled mass; "toiled through entangled growths of mesquite" tangled - in a confused mass; "pushed back her tangled hair"; "the tangled ropes"
	3.	entangled - involved in difficulties unfree - hampered and not free; not able to act at will

Translations

entangled

[ɪnˈtæŋg^əld] adj

to become entangled in [+ ropes, cables, net] → s'emmêler dans

to become entangled in [+ situation, argument, lawsuit] → se laisser entraîner dans

Collins English/French Electronic Resource. © HarperCollins Publishers 2005

References in classic literature ?

He flew around with a great whir of his wings and settled upon a large ram, with the intention of carrying him off, but his claws became entangled in the ram's fleece and he was not able to release himself, although he fluttered with his feathers as much as he could.

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A group of Fuegians partly concealed by the entangled forest, were perched on a wild point overhanging the sea; and as we passed by, they sprang up and waving their tattered cloaks sent forth a loud and sonorous shout.

The old man had a fillet of white feathers tied round his head, which partly confined his black, coarse, and entangled hair.

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They had penetrated the great range of mountains among which some of the upper branches of Salmon River take their rise, but had become so entangled among immense and almost impassable barricades of fallen pines, and so impeded by tremendous precipices, that a great part of their season had been wasted among these mountains.

The Bannacks immediately posted themselves on each side of a dark ravine, through which the enemy must pass, and, just as they were entangled in the midst of it, attacked them with great fury.

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From day to day he became more and more entangled. It seemed to her mother and Sonya that Natasha was in love with Boris as of old.

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She did not mean to have her own affections entangled again, and it would be incumbent on her to avoid any encouragement of his.

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And if this seems a trifling risk, let us see whether it is equalled or surpassed by the encounter of two galleys stem to stem, in the midst of the open sea, locked and entangled one with the other, when the soldier has no more standing room than two feet of the plank of the spur; and yet, though he sees before him threatening him as many ministers of death as there are cannon of the foe pointed at him, not a lance length from his body, and sees too that with the first heedless step he will go down to visit the profundities of Neptune's bosom, still with dauntless heart, urged on by honour that nerves him, he makes himself a target for all that musketry, and struggles to cross that narrow path to the enemy's ship.

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A rigged vessel would have been entangled in the blocked up gorges.

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Inextricably entangled in the mess to which he was clinging were numerous other landing hooks such as he had attached to the warrior's harness, and with one of these he sought to secure himself until the storm should abate sufficiently to permit him to climb to the deck, but even as he reached for one that swung near him the ship was caught in a renewed burst of the storm's fury, the thrashing cordage whipped and snapped to the lunging of the great craft and one of the heavy metal hooks, lashing through the air, struck the Jed of Gathol fair between the eyes.

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"Not a bit of it!" he said, "more entangled than ever!

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The involuntary consternation of the moment caused him to leap, paddle in hand, out of the boat; and in such a way, that part of the slack whale line coming against his chest, he breasted it overboard with him, so as to become entangled in it, when at last plumping into the water.