entanglement
noun
en·tan·gle·ment
in-ˈtaŋ-gəl-mənt 
en-
1
a
: the action of entangling : the state of being entangled
b
: something that entangles, confuses, or ensnares
a project delayed by legal entanglements
2
: the condition of being deeply involved
their entanglement in politics
Synonyms
Examples of entanglement in a Sentence
his life is greatly complicated by his romantic entanglements
Recent Examples on the Web
The subjects were anonymized but recognizable to anyone who had followed the story of Trump’s entanglement with The Enquirer.
—
Lachlan Cartwright, New York Times, 3 Apr. 2024
Instead of making the globe-spanning plot empathetic on a human level, these friends’ various interpersonal entanglements just end up feeling irrelevant in the face of the show’s big ideas.
—Christian Holub, EW.com, 19 Mar. 2024
The latter is known to cause serious injuries, and scientists believe chronic entanglements are contributing to females of the species having fewer calves.
—Li Cohen, CBS News, 5 Mar. 2024
This year, officials said six whale entanglements have been confirmed, and a dead Pacific leatherback sea turtle that got snarled in old gear from a previous year was discovered off the Farallon Islands on Nov. 24.
—Linda Zavoral, The Mercury News, 28 Mar. 2024
In the translator Jennifer Croft’s first novel, a band of translators from around the world navigates romantic entanglements and their hero worship of an elusive Polish author.
—Sophie Pinkham, The New York Review of Books, 14 Mar. 2024
This trend is associated with entanglements in fishing gear.
—Joshua Reed, The Conversation, 13 Mar. 2024
The state’s fishermen have been in a lengthy legal battle with the federal government over rules designed to protect the whales, which are vulnerable to entanglement in fishing gear.
—Patrick Whittle, Fortune, 1 Mar. 2024
Consistent with their desire to shield the Court from entanglement in electoral lawfare, the justices have also sought, perhaps with less success, to avoid the federal judiciary’s serving as a sort of ombudsman over the political system.
—Robert J. Delahunty, National Review, 14 Feb. 2024
Lachlan Cartwright, New York Times, 3 Apr. 2024
Instead of making the globe-spanning plot empathetic on a human level, these friends’ various interpersonal entanglements just end up feeling irrelevant in the face of the show’s big ideas.
—Christian Holub, EW.com, 19 Mar. 2024
The latter is known to cause serious injuries, and scientists believe chronic entanglements are contributing to females of the species having fewer calves.
—Li Cohen, CBS News, 5 Mar. 2024
This year, officials said six whale entanglements have been confirmed, and a dead Pacific leatherback sea turtle that got snarled in old gear from a previous year was discovered off the Farallon Islands on Nov. 24.
—Linda Zavoral, The Mercury News, 28 Mar. 2024
In the translator Jennifer Croft’s first novel, a band of translators from around the world navigates romantic entanglements and their hero worship of an elusive Polish author.
—Sophie Pinkham, The New York Review of Books, 14 Mar. 2024
This trend is associated with entanglements in fishing gear.
—Joshua Reed, The Conversation, 13 Mar. 2024
The state’s fishermen have been in a lengthy legal battle with the federal government over rules designed to protect the whales, which are vulnerable to entanglement in fishing gear.
—Patrick Whittle, Fortune, 1 Mar. 2024
Consistent with their desire to shield the Court from entanglement in electoral lawfare, the justices have also sought, perhaps with less success, to avoid the federal judiciary’s serving as a sort of ombudsman over the political system.
—Robert J. Delahunty, National Review, 14 Feb. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'entanglement.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
First Known Use
1535, in the meaning defined at sense 1a
Phrases Containing entanglement
Articles Related to entanglement
Dictionary Entries Near entanglement
Cite this Entry
“Entanglement.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/entanglement. Accessed 19 Apr. 2024.
Copy Citation
More from Merriam-Webster on entanglement
Nglish: Translation of entanglement for Spanish Speakers
Britannica English: Translation of entanglement for Arabic Speakers
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