1
2
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
5

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of confuse So, a few weeks after that season ended, he was confused when a Phillies official phoned him. Matt Gelb, The Athletic, 24 Feb. 2025 The official foldout map, showing locations of the exhibits, seems designed to confuse. Elaine Sciolino, Travel + Leisure, 22 Feb. 2025 This should not be confused as some kind of part-time mentoring role, like someone coming in to give a speech once in a while and then clearing off. Simon Johnson, The Athletic, 18 Feb. 2025 Don't let the term air fryer confuse you: These things are pretty much just small convection ovens that use fans to circulate hot air around your food in order to cook it evenly and efficiently. Emily Farris, Bon Appétit, 14 Feb. 2025 See All Example Sentences for confuse
Recent Examples of Synonyms for confuse
Verb
  • Unenlightened of the brownie’s incredible taste, I was bewildered by the perfect combination of these three types of chocolate.
    Mia Leimkuhler, New York Times, 22 Feb. 2025
  • The appeal bewilders attorneys for the 300,000 plaintiffs who each missed out on $3,000 when DeWine cut off the benefits in June 2021 — 10 weeks before they were set to expire.
    Sam Allard, Axios, 21 Feb. 2025
Verb
  • The questions were as straightforward as the technicalities were complicated: how should Gaza be governed and reconstructed after the Israel-Hamas war is over, without having to resort to ethnic cleansing?
    Daniel DePetris, Chicago Tribune, 25 Feb. 2025
  • The love triangle is already complicated by the intrusive memories of Mark’s outie, who is pining after the specter of his dead wife, Gemma (Dichen Lachman), but the situation reaches unprecedented messiness after Helena Eagan tracks down Mark’s outie in a restaurant and flirts with him.
    Dani Di Placido, Forbes, 25 Feb. 2025
Verb
  • The abruptness of their removal from the facility, however, shouldn’t be mistaken for a broader lack of planning.
    Jonathan Blitzer, The New Yorker, 23 Feb. 2025
  • Misdiagnosis of early symptoms – In long-term care, Listeria symptoms like fever and muscle aches can be mistaken for general health decline, delaying treatment.
    Stephanie Gravalese, Forbes, 23 Feb. 2025
Verb
  • The rest would sooner expect the AfD to embarrass Germany than to save it.
    Simon Shuster/Berlin, TIME, 22 Feb. 2025
  • The rapper has famously pressed people (and embarrassed them) regarding giving him monies owed on social media.
    Amber Corrine, VIBE.com, 21 Feb. 2025
Verb
  • Then, in 2020, Covid restrictions disrupted her income flow and offended her sense of individual rights.
    Meridith Kohut, New York Times, 21 Feb. 2025
  • Canal authorities were forced to reduce the transits from a typical 36 a day to 24, disrupting global supply chains.
    Laura Paddison, CNN, 21 Feb. 2025
Verb
  • City Council Speaker Adrienne Adams, a Queens Democrat who has recently stepped up her criticism of the mayor, was perplexed by his refusal to slam Trump’s recent actions.
    Chris Sommerfeldt, New York Daily News, 21 Jan. 2025
  • Several drones were reportedly spotted in the skies above a Connecticut suburb Thursday night, adding to recent sightings that have perplexed residents and raised questions about possible national security and public safety concerns.
    Louis Casiano, Fox News, 13 Dec. 2024
Verb
  • This Maserati aims to blur the lines between track and street, and the scenery along with it.
    Lawrence Ulrich, Robb Report, 4 Mar. 2025
  • But this divide is fading as the lines between the two continue to blur.
    Amit Ashkenazi, Forbes, 3 Mar. 2025
Verb
  • In East Hampton, a 1964 house with a pair of steeply angled roofs displayed a severe flair that must have flustered the neighbors in nearby cottages.
    Adriane Quinlan, Curbed, 26 Feb. 2025
  • If someone isn’t flustered by [nontraditional interview questions] and can have really strategic and thoughtful conversations ...
    Megan Sauer, CNBC, 3 Feb. 2025

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Confuse.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/confuse. Accessed 8 Mar. 2025.

More from Merriam-Webster on confuse

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!