tan·gle 1 
(tănggəl)
(tănggəl)v. tan·gled, tan·gling, tan·gles
v.tr.
1. To mix together or intertwine in a confused mass; snarl: The fishing lines from the two boats were tangled.
2. To catch or ensnare in an intertwined or confused mass: A turtle was tangled in the fishing net.
3. To involve in a complicated situation or in circumstances from which it is difficult to disengage: He got tangled up in a scheme to commit fraud.
v.intr.
1. To be or become entangled.
2. Informal To enter into argument, dispute, or conflict: tangled with the law.
n.
1. A confused, intertwined mass: a tangle of blood vessels.
2. A jumbled or confused state or condition: a tangle of conflicting reports.
3. Informal An argument or altercation.
[Middle English tangilen, to involve in an embarrassing situation, variant of tagilen, probably of Scandinavian origin; akin to Swedish dialectal taggla, to entangle.]
tangly adj.