embroil
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/ɪmˈbrɔɪl/
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Deep involvement in conflict or difficulty, and the related act of making affairs tangled, confused, or hard to manage.
Examples
A dispute over funding embroiled the project before work began.
Competing deadlines embroiled the team’s plans for the launch.
The unclear instructions embroiled the simple task in needless complications.
Two contractors became embroiled in a fight over the unpaid bill.
The decision embroiled the university in a debate over free speech.
Similar words
confuse
entangle
enmesh
snarl
muddle
implicateunsettle
disrupt
disorder
entangle
Meanings
Examples
The scandal embroiled several ministers in a bitter public dispute.
The lawsuit embroiled the company in years of costly litigation.
She tried not to embroil her friends in the family feud.
The leaked emails embroiled the campaign in a new controversy.
Two contractors became embroiled in a fight over the unpaid bill.
The decision embroiled the university in a debate over free speech.
He resigned after being embroiled in allegations of fraud.
Similar words
involve
entangle
implicateenmesh
mire
drag
ensnare
trap
Examples
The sudden policy change embroiled the negotiations in confusion.
A dispute over funding embroiled the project before work began.
The unclear instructions embroiled the simple task in needless complications.
Competing deadlines embroiled the team’s plans for the launch.
The missing contract embroiled the sale in legal uncertainty.
One careless amendment embroiled the bill in procedural delay.
The merger was soon embroiled in accounting problems.
Similar words
complicate
confuse
entangle
muddle
disorder
snarl
disrupt
unsettle
Etymology
Borrowed in the early 1600s from French embrouiller, meaning to entangle or confuse, from em- plus brouiller, to mix up or confuse.
FAQ
Embroil means to involve someone in conflict or difficulty, or to make affairs confused and tangled.
Is embroil a negative word?
Yes. It usually suggests trouble, conflict, scandal, or confusion rather than simple participation.
What preposition follows embroil?
Embroil is often followed by in, as in "embroiled in controversy" or "embroiled in a lawsuit."
What is the past tense of embroil?
The past tense and past participle are embroiled.
Where does embroil come from?
It comes from French embrouiller, meaning to entangle or confuse.
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