tan·gle (tăng′gəl) n. 1. A confused, intertwined mass. 2. A jumbled or confused state or condition 3. A state of bewilderment. 4. Informal. An argument; altercation ― idiom. tangle with. Informal: To come to grips or blows with. [Middle English tangilen, to involve in embarrassment.] ― tang′ly adj