1
as in to bewilder
to throw into a state of mental uncertainty
the similar-sounding words "censure" and "censor" often confuse people
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to complicate
to make (something) unclear to the understanding
stop confusing the issue with irrelevant facts
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in to mistake
to fail to differentiate (a thing) from something similar or related
a lot of people confuse popular fame with enduring achievement
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in to embarrass
to throw into a state of self-conscious distress
she was confused by the shocking bluntness of his marriage proposal
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
5
as in to disrupt
to undo the proper order or arrangement of
vandals had hopelessly confused the papers in the office files
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of confuse
None of these locations are to be confused with the Athletics’ very very nice and renovated clubhouse, which is a different building entirely.
—
Grant Brisbee, The Athletic, 24 Mar. 2025
These were charges that her attorneys claim jurors agreed Read wasn't guilty of, but were confused about the directions on how to present a partial verdict.
—Steph Solis, Axios, 24 Mar. 2025
Mitchell also plays John’s twin, DCI James Taylor (not to be confused with James Taylor).
—Erik Kain, Forbes, 21 Mar. 2025
Don’t confuse grilling with smoking though—the basic difference is smoking is a slow process where food is cooked at low temperatures for a long period while grilling requires high heat applied over a short burst of time.
—Carrie Honaker, Southern Living, 19 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for confuse
Grant Brisbee, The Athletic, 24 Mar. 2025
These were charges that her attorneys claim jurors agreed Read wasn't guilty of, but were confused about the directions on how to present a partial verdict.
—Steph Solis, Axios, 24 Mar. 2025
Mitchell also plays John’s twin, DCI James Taylor (not to be confused with James Taylor).
—Erik Kain, Forbes, 21 Mar. 2025
Don’t confuse grilling with smoking though—the basic difference is smoking is a slow process where food is cooked at low temperatures for a long period while grilling requires high heat applied over a short burst of time.
—Carrie Honaker, Southern Living, 19 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for confuse
Recent Examples of Synonyms for confuse
Verb
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This match exposed a couple of ugly issues the tour has to address and left spectators bewildered for long stretches at a time.—
Todd Boss,
Forbes,
25 Feb. 2025
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While some stars dazzle in their glamorous attire, others have stumbled into the realm of fashion faux pas, leaving audiences bewildered.—
WWD Staff,
WWD,
21 Feb. 2025
Verb
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That Rocked Myanmar and Thailand But recovery efforts—including understanding the full extent of the damage and getting aid to where it’s needed most—are complicated by Myanmar’s ongoing civil war.—
Chad de Guzman,
Time,
3 Apr. 2025
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The Trump administration’s retributive style complicates those questions.—
Peter Kiefer,
HollywoodReporter,
2 Apr. 2025
Verb
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Because of their flatness, the footprints had previously been mistaken for fish resting burrows.—
Jack Guy,
CNN Money,
2 Apr. 2025
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The letter carrier mistook the motion as a friendly gesture.—
Julia Marnin,
Sacbee.com,
31 Mar. 2025
Verb
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But the medical-looking royal blue bottles of nicotine lozenges embarrassed her.—
Will Yakowicz,
Forbes.com,
30 Mar. 2025
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Many of them had to fail, repeat, embarrass themselves, risk everything, and learn.—
Ars Technica,
Ars Technica,
23 Mar. 2025
Verb
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DDoS Threats Cybercriminals threaten Distributed Denial of Service attacks to disrupt personal websites unless payment is made.—
Alex Vakulov,
Forbes.com,
29 Mar. 2025
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Yes, but: A much more straightforward way to disrupt the vaccine market would be to simply cancel government contracts with manufacturers.—
Caitlin Owens,
Axios,
28 Mar. 2025
Verb
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For a former player who was known as a cutthroat defender, he was perplexed by his players’ disappointing effort.—
Felipe Cardenas,
The Athletic,
21 Mar. 2025
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However, she too was perplexed about the role of the pro-prefect.—
Elisabetta Povoledo,
New York Times,
6 Jan. 2025
Verb
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On the other hand, holding a company liable for one person’s speech blurs the line between individual and collective responsibility.—
Kwame Anthony Appiah,
New York Times,
26 Mar. 2025
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Though rooted in self-love, these trends can blur the line between care and consumerism.—
Jasmine Browley,
Essence,
26 Mar. 2025
Verb
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Jimmy Kimmel flustered guest Pedro Pascal with a suggestive question about Reed Richards' stretchable body parts on Monday's episode of his late-night show.—
Jessica Wang,
EW.com,
25 Mar. 2025
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DePaul Prep rallied, though, flustering the Crusaders with a full-court press.—
Steve Millar,
Chicago Tribune,
16 Mar. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Confuse.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/confuse. Accessed 7 Apr. 2025.
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