becomes difficult to disentangle

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "becomes difficult to disentangle" is correct and usable in written English.
It can be used when discussing situations or concepts that are complex and hard to separate or clarify. Example: "As the investigation progressed, the various motives of the suspects became difficult to disentangle."

✓ Grammatically correct

Science

News & Media

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

3 human-written examples

Here it sometimes becomes difficult to disentangle egoistic versus utilitarian lines of thought in Shaftesbury.

SEP

However, above 85, it becomes difficult to disentangle the multiple pathologies often present in very old individuals.

Genus

Particularly, if they are of the same order of magnitude as the recombination rate, it becomes difficult to disentangle the origin of events.

Genetics

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

56 human-written examples

It becomes difficult to maintain faith.

The New Yorker

It becomes difficult to move.

BMC Health Services Research

Thus, if we accept Quine's general picture of knowledge, it becomes quite difficult to disentangle normative from descriptive issues, or questions about the psychology of human belief revision from questions about the justifiability or rational defensibility of such revisions.

SEP

On the other hand, without detailed information on who infects whom, larger groups increase the potential confounding among the expressions of infectivity from different infected individuals, as it becomes more difficult to disentangle the individual infectivities from the infected individuals that might have transmitted the infection to the susceptibles as group size increases.

Genetics

Coupled with opportunist criminal gangs involved in smuggling and drugs, the intractable conflict is becoming increasingly difficult to disentangle.

Vice

It became difficult to cope with.

BBC

Grain become difficult to procure.

Wikipedia

Bleeder bolts can become difficult to remove.

WikiHow

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When using "becomes difficult to disentangle", ensure that the context clearly establishes what elements are becoming difficult to separate or distinguish. Provide specific examples or details to enhance clarity for the reader.

Common error

Avoid using "becomes difficult to disentangle" in situations where simpler phrasing like "becomes confusing" or "becomes unclear" would suffice. Reserve it for scenarios involving genuine complexity and interwoven factors.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "becomes difficult to disentangle" functions as a qualifier, indicating that a previously straightforward task or situation is now presenting complexities that hinder clear separation or distinction. As shown by Ludwig, the phrase appears in varied scientific, news, and academic contexts.

Expression frequency: Rare

Frequent in

Science

33%

News & Media

33%

Encyclopedias

0%

Less common in

Formal & Business

0%

Wiki

0%

Reference

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, "becomes difficult to disentangle" is a grammatically sound phrase used to describe a situation where distinguishing between elements becomes increasingly challenging due to complexity. Ludwig AI confirms that the phrase is correct and suitable for various contexts, although relatively rare in occurrence. The phrase is most commonly encountered in scientific and news media, suggesting a neutral to formal register. When employing this phrase, ensure the context provides specific details regarding the elements that are becoming difficult to separate, and avoid overusing it in scenarios where simpler phrasing would suffice.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

becomes challenging to differentiate

Replaces "difficult" with "challenging" and "disentangle" with "differentiate", emphasizing the effort required for distinction.

becomes problematic to distinguish

Substitutes "difficult" with "problematic" and "disentangle" with "distinguish", focusing on the troublesome aspect of identifying separate elements.

becomes arduous to separate

Replaces "difficult" with "arduous" and "disentangle" with "separate", highlighting the demanding nature of isolating components.

becomes intricate to unravel

Uses "intricate" instead of "difficult" and "unravel" instead of "disentangle", suggesting a complex situation that needs careful examination.

becomes complex to resolve

Employs "complex" in place of "difficult" and "resolve" instead of "disentangle", emphasizing the multifaceted nature of the situation and the need for a solution.

becomes confusing to isolate

Substitutes "difficult" with "confusing" and "disentangle" with "isolate", focusing on the perplexing aspect of setting apart individual elements.

becomes obscure to discern

Replaces "difficult" with "obscure" and "disentangle" with "discern", highlighting the lack of clarity in perceiving distinct elements.

becomes impossible to isolate

Replaces "difficult" with "impossible", showing a stronger degree of difficulty in setting apart individual elements.

becomes hard to tell apart

Uses a more informal tone and replaces "difficult to disentangle" with a phrasal verb, indicating difficulty in distinguishing items.

becomes a challenge to differentiate

Rephrases the sentence to emphasize the challenging aspect of distinguishing elements, using a noun phrase instead of an adjective.

FAQs

How can I use "becomes difficult to disentangle" in a sentence?

You can use "becomes difficult to disentangle" when you want to express that something is complex and hard to separate or clarify. For example: "As the investigation progressed, the various motives of the suspects "became difficult to disentangle"."

What can I say instead of "becomes difficult to disentangle"?

You can use alternatives like "becomes challenging to differentiate", "becomes problematic to distinguish", or "becomes hard to tell apart" depending on the context.

Is it better to use "difficult to disentangle" or "hard to disentangle"?

"Difficult to disentangle" and "hard to disentangle" are very similar. "Difficult" is slightly more formal than "hard". The choice depends on the tone you want to convey.

What does "disentangle" mean?

"Disentangle" means to separate things that have become knotted or twisted together or to free them from a complication or confusion.