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
Some may confuse this location with the other Hutchins BBQ in Frisco or McKinney.
—
Ella Gonzales, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 12 Feb. 2025
Activists on college campuses have confused the ability to occupy and disrupt physical space for the right to dissent verbally.
—Thomas Chatterton Williams, The Atlantic, 6 Feb. 2025
The employee recounted how the customer, seemingly annoyed, gestured under his chin in a manner that initially confused her.
—Thomas G. Moukawsher, Newsweek, 6 Feb. 2025
The low-stakes story (co-written with the director’s wife, Jerusha Hess) was hugely meme-able but still confusing to critics in the mostly pre-internet age.
—Alison Foreman, IndieWire, 5 Feb. 2025
See all Example Sentences for confuse 
Ella Gonzales, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 12 Feb. 2025
Activists on college campuses have confused the ability to occupy and disrupt physical space for the right to dissent verbally.
—Thomas Chatterton Williams, The Atlantic, 6 Feb. 2025
The employee recounted how the customer, seemingly annoyed, gestured under his chin in a manner that initially confused her.
—Thomas G. Moukawsher, Newsweek, 6 Feb. 2025
The low-stakes story (co-written with the director’s wife, Jerusha Hess) was hugely meme-able but still confusing to critics in the mostly pre-internet age.
—Alison Foreman, IndieWire, 5 Feb. 2025
See all Example Sentences for confuse
Recent Examples of Synonyms for confuse
Verb
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Internet users were obsessed yet bewildered with the unique positioning.—
Thomas G. Moukawsher,
Newsweek,
5 Feb. 2025
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But Judge was the only one who wasn’t bewildered by the move.—
Chris Kirschner,
The Athletic,
14 Aug. 2024
Verb
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The third edition of the upstairs-downstairs dramedy, named for a fictional chain of upscale resorts, both continues this trajectory and complicates it.—
Alison Herman,
Variety,
11 Feb. 2025
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Her daughter, 14-year-old Joey’s coming-of-age battles are further complicated by the unexpected onset of superpowers.—
Zac Ntim,
Deadline,
11 Feb. 2025
Verb
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The new species was mistaken as the Quichua porcupine, or Coendou quichua, for decades.—
Aspen Pflughoeft,
Miami Herald,
13 Feb. 2025
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Breathless had started as a somewhat conventional project that Godard turned into an irreverent formal free-for-all; the noirish, plaintive Le petit soldat had enough genre elements to mistake it for something more traditional.—
Bilge Ebiri,
Vulture,
7 Feb. 2025
Verb
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The publication of The American Black Chamber on June 1, 1931, as well as three preceding articles in the Saturday Evening Post, embarrassed the Japanese.—
Peter Zablocki,
Smithsonian Magazine,
4 Feb. 2025
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The 2013 incident embarrassed New Orleans, which wanted to show off how well the city had bounced back by hosting the big game for the first time since Hurricane Katrina.—
Eric Jackson,
Sportico.com,
3 Feb. 2025
Verb
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Lower serotonin levels can disrupt this process, leading to constipation.87 Ongoing stress can also affect the gut barrier and make your intestines more sensitive to bacteria.—
Brittany Dube,
Health,
8 Feb. 2025
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Mahomes has a significant edge at quarterback over Jalen Hurts, but Philly’s defense can disrupt his timing in the pocket, contain his scrambles and lock down his receivers.—
Baltimore Sun staff,
Baltimore Sun,
7 Feb. 2025
Verb
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Sociologists have been perplexed at the scale and stubbornness of the decline in fertility, which does not appear to be materially impacted by various governments' attempts to intervene with supposedly birth-inducing policies like tax credits.—
Josh Hammer,
Newsweek,
14 Feb. 2025
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For years, astronomers have been perplexed by this particular supermassive black hole, a behemoth as large as a million suns in a distant galaxy.—
Eric Lagatta,
USA TODAY,
14 Jan. 2025
Verb
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Daigle, 33, has cultivated a decade-long career blurring the lines between Christian and pop music.—
Melissa Ruggieri,
USA TODAY,
7 Feb. 2025
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This is especially true with Venus conjunct Neptune in Pisces illuminating your seventh house of relationships and significant others because in addition to emphasizing your romantic ideals and dreams, this mystical synergy could blur the lines between fantasy and reality.—
Valerie Mesa,
People.com,
7 Feb. 2025
Verb
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If someone isn’t flustered by [nontraditional interview questions] and can have really strategic and thoughtful conversations ...—
Megan Sauer,
CNBC,
3 Feb. 2025
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In the playoffs, Spagnuolo dialed up a signature blitz that left Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo flustered.—
Shreyas Laddha,
Kansas City Star,
3 Feb. 2025
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Cite this Entry
“Confuse.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/confuse. Accessed 21 Feb. 2025.
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