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Prepositions after verbs

Entangle in or entangle with?

Entangle is usually followed by with when talking about involvement or connection. In can appear after entangle as part of a separate phrase such as a place or situation.

Quick answer

Which preposition goes with entangle?

Use entangle with for involvement, conflict, or connection between people, groups, or problems. Entangle in is uncommon as a fixed combination. However, in may follow entangle when it introduces a separate situation or location rather than completing the verb.

She became entangled with a dishonest investor.
The company was entangled with several legal disputes.
The wires were entangled in the branches.

Choose the pattern by meaning

These forms are not interchangeable. Choose the construction by meaning, not by which preposition appears most often.

1
entangle with + person or group

Showing involvement or association

Use with when someone becomes involved with another person, organisation, or activity, often in a complicated or negative way.

He got entangled with the wrong crowd.
The charity became entangled with political interests.
2
entangle with + problem or conflict

Talking about complicated situations

With is common when describing legal, financial, emotional, or political complications.

They were entangled with a long court battle.
She did not want to become entangled with office politics.
3
entangled in + place or situation

Using in as a separate adjunct

In may follow entangled when it introduces the place or situation where something is trapped. Here, in is not the selected preposition of the verb.

The bird was entangled in a fishing net.
His feet became entangled in the rope.

See the difference in context

The same subject can take different constructions because each sentence answers a different question.

Construction
Example
Meaning
entangle with
She became entangled with a fraudulent scheme.
Standard for involvement or association.
entangle in
The deer was entangled in a fence.
Natural when in introduces the thing or place trapping someone or something.
be entangled in
The company is entangled in litigation.
Common passive pattern meaning deeply involved in a difficult situation.
entangle into
They entangled him into debt.
Nonstandard in current English; use entangle someone in debt or entangle someone with debt instead.

Common mistakes

Some combinations appear in real text but do not mean what learners often assume.

Using in as the main preposition for involvement

For relationships, conflicts, or associations, with is usually the natural choice.

✕ She became entangled in a dangerous businessman. ✓ She became entangled with a dangerous businessman.

Confusing physical trapping with involvement

In often describes the thing trapping someone physically.

✕ The cables became entangled with the tree branches. ✓ The cables became entangled in the tree branches.

Using into after entangle

Into is generally not idiomatic after entangle.

✕ He was entangled into legal trouble. ✓ He was entangled in legal trouble.

Quick practice

Choose the expression that matches the intended meaning.

1. She became ___ a complicated financial dispute.
2. The dog's leash was ___ the bicycle wheel.
3. They did not want to become ___ local politics.

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Frequently asked questions

Is entangle with always negative?

It is often negative or complicated, but it can simply mean closely involved or connected.

Can I say entangled in problems?

Yes. Be entangled in problems is common in passive structures describing difficult involvement.

What is the difference between entangled with and entangled in?

With usually focuses on association with people or issues. In often focuses on being trapped inside a situation or object.

earmark-for-by-as-about, at "earn from", "earn by" or "earn in"? "ease into", "ease by" or "ease in"? "eat at", "eat with" or "eat in"? "echo in" or "echo by"? edit by, for, in, to or from? "educate in" or "educate at"? eject from, at, in, into or by? elaborate on, in, upon, by or about? "elect to" or "elect by"? elevate to, in, above, by or as? "eliminate from", "eliminate in" or "eliminate by"?

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