entangle

To entangle means to cause something to become twisted together with something else, creating a connection that is hard to separate. It can be used literally for physical objects, such as hair caught in a brush, fishing nets wrapped around debris, or an anchor caught in underwater cables. In these cases, the idea is that something has become knotted, trapped, or mixed together in a troublesome way.

However, entangle is also very often used figuratively. A person can become entangled in legal trouble, debt, office politics, or a difficult relationship. In this sense, it suggests being drawn into a situation that becomes complicated and hard to escape. The word often carries a feeling of being stuck, as if the problem has wrapped itself around you and will not easily let go.

It can also mean to involve someone in something complicated or undesirable, as in not wanting to get entangled in other people's drama. The history of the word supports this image: it is built from en- and tangle, and tangle is linked to an old word for seaweed. That background fits the picture the word gives us even now: something wraps around something else, and getting free is not easy. Whether it is about ropes, lies, money, or relationships, entangle suggests connection, confusion, and difficulty.