tangle

I

(New American Roget's College Thesaurus)

n. snarl, mix-up, jumble, mattedness; complication, involvement. —v. mat, snarl; knot, mix inextricably; snare, trap, enmesh; catch, perplex; embroil, complicate. See disorder, difficulty.

II

(Roget's IV) n.

Syn. snarl, snag, muddle; see confusion 2 , knot 2 .

v.

Syn. involve, complicate, confuse, obstruct, hamper, derange, mix up, discompose, disorganize, upset, unbalance, unhinge, embarrass, perplex, tie up, trap, mess up.

Ant. order*, fix, unravel.

III

(Roget's 3 Superthesaurus)

I

n.

knot, snarl, entanglement, mess, mass of confusion, snag, kink, *ball-up, ravel, web, mat, jumble, labyrinth, *bird's nest, trap, complication, mishmash, mix-up.

II

v.

1. knot snarl, entangle, mess, become a mass of confusion, snag, kink, *ball up, ravel, web, mat, jumble, mix up, enmesh, entwine, trap, catch.

2. fight wrangle, quarrel, argue, bicker, *lock horns.

IV

(Roget's Thesaurus II) I verb 1. To twist together so that separation is difficult: ensnarl, entangle, foul, snarl2. See ORDER. 2. To make complex, intricate, or perplexing: complicate, embarrass, entangle, involve, perplex, ravel, snarl2. See SIMPLE. 3. To gain control of or an advantage over by or as if by trapping: catch, enmesh, ensnare, ensnarl, entrap, snare, trammel, trap, web. See FREE. 4. Informal. To engage in a quarrel: argue, bicker, contend, dispute, fight, quarrel, quibble, spat, squabble, tiff, wrangle. Informal: hassle. Idioms: cross swords, have it out, have words, lock horns. See CONFLICT. II noun 1. Something that is intricately and often bewilderingly complex: cat's cradle, entanglement, jungle, knot, labyrinth, maze, mesh (often used in plural), morass, skein, snarl2, web. See SIMPLE. 2. Informal. A discussion, often heated, in which a difference of opinion is expressed: altercation, argument, bicker, clash, contention, controversy, debate, difficulty, disagreement, dispute, fight, polemic, quarrel, run-in, spat, squabble, tiff, word (used in plural), wrangle. Informal: hassle, rhubarb. See CONFLICT.