| MARESNEST | A complex situation or muddle |
| PICKLE | Brine, marinade or vinegar; a food preserved in said liquid; a type of relish often served with cheese; or, an awkward situation or muddle (6) |
| UNIT | One in a complex situation |
| ATANGLEDWEB | Name for a complex situation, coined by Walter Scott in his epic poem Marmion |
| REVEL | Word for a tangle or cluster; a broken thread, fray or loose end; a row or run of unwoven stitches, aka a ladder; or, a complication, confusion, fankle or muddle (5) |
| MULL | Verb meaning to pulverise or crumble; to spice, sweeten and warm ale or wine; to ponder; or, as a noun, a bungle, mess or muddle; soft muslin used in bookbinding; or, a Scottish word for a promontory |
| MUFF | A person who is awkward at sport, thus a word for a botch, dropped/failed catch, mess-up, mishit or muddle; a bungler or duffer generally; or, a cylinder of fur for warming both hands (4) |
| MASH | Malt mixed with hot water to form wort; a warm feed of bran or meal for cattle/horses; a brew of tea; a bungle or muddle; an engoument or crush; or, crushed potatoes, aka champ (4) |
| TANGLE | Word for a confused jumble, knot or muddle; a complicated problem; a fight or embroilment; or, oarweed (6) |
| HASH | From "axe, chop", a dish of coarsely chopped potato, corned beef or other ingredients; or, a mess, mishmash or muddle generally (4) |
| RATTRAP | A net/snare for catching long-tailed mouse-like murids; a place of squalor; a horribly entangling situation; or, a bike pedal with teeth or a cage (3,4) |
| FANKLE | Scots term for a tangle or muddle (6) |
| MORASS | Moss or marsh; mire or muddle |
| APPROACH | An avenue or drive; draw near to; a means of dealing with a job, problem or situation; or, the way in which an aircraft comes in to land (8) |
| COCKUP | Mess or muddle resulting from incompetence (4-2) |
| STEW | Mulligan or muddle |
| ADDLE | Confuse or muddle (5) |
| TRIANGLE | Complex situation snares Rhode Island figure (8) |
| MAZE | Food crop I abandoned in complex situation (4) |
| QUAGMIRE | Bog; complex situation |
