1
as in difficult
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in perplexing
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in baffling
to throw into a state of mental uncertainty
the similar-sounding words "censure" and "censor" often confuse people
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in complicating
to make (something) unclear to the understanding
stop confusing the issue with irrelevant facts
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in mistaking
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 embarrassing
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 disrupting
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for confusing
Adjective
-
On the other hand lies the more difficult but ultimately more promising path: repudiation of that post-2008 legacy and a conscientious return to a politics of the prudential center.—
Newsweek,
Newsweek,
7 Mar. 2025 -
But daylight saving time throws that natural cycle a bit out of whack, and that can be particularly difficult for kids.—
Dina Roth Port,
Parents,
7 Mar. 2025
Adjective
-
This perplexing synergy triggers everything from mixed signals and missed messages to an overwhelming feeling that something’s just a bit… off.—
Valerie Mesa,
People.com,
19 Feb. 2025
-
In almost no time Sophie and Laura had managed to untie one knot, only to find a tighter and far more perplexing one at its center.—
Hannah Gold,
Harper's Magazine,
19 Feb. 2025
Verb
-
Protests keep disrupting life in Dhaka, the capital.—
Saif Hasnat Atul Loke,
New York Times,
24 Dec. 2024
-
For example, Russian GPS jamming near Kaliningrad in 2023 affected over 46,000 flights to and from Europe, disrupting civilian and military operations alike.—
Jack Hidary,
Forbes,
23 Dec. 2024
Adjective
-
The instruments aboard Firefly's lander include a subsurface drill, an X-ray imager, and an experimental electrodynamic dust shield to test methods of repelling troublesome lunar dust from accumulating on sensitive spacecraft components.—
Kristin Shaw,
Ars Technica,
27 Feb. 2025
-
What’s new in season eight is the show’s shift toward depicting phones as active and troublesome disrupters of a relationship that might have otherwise been perfectly fine.—
Kathryn VanArendonk,
Vulture,
26 Feb. 2025
Adjective
-
One huge factor here is that Wilds did not have a somewhat baffling Switch-only launch like Rise did, accounting for almost all of this huge sales gap.—
Paul Tassi,
Forbes,
4 Mar. 2025
-
Even more baffling: Lemons went back to work just three weeks later!—
Sydney Bucksbaum,
EW.com,
28 Feb. 2025
Verb
-
Russia was becoming more closed, and this was disconcerting for a generation that had grown up in a modernized and relatively open society.—
Andrei Kolesnikov,
Foreign Affairs,
15 Oct. 2024
-
Calculations on how many homeowners are at risk and how many are covered vary, but all are disconcerting.—
Kate Gibson,
CBS News,
4 Oct. 2024
Verb
-
Experts warn that an afternoon or evening coffee could disrupt your circadian rhythm, disturbing your sleep.—
Jenna Anderson,
Health,
7 Jan. 2025
-
The Piano Teacher asks you (and teaches you) to stick with disturbing moments and unpleasant characters.—
Ilana Masad,
The Atlantic,
3 Jan. 2025
Adjective
-
That leads to the second point: automating boring tasks, or delegating unpleasant things to the AI itself.—
John Werner,
Forbes,
9 Mar. 2025
-
Seed oils are typically made by pressing or crushing the seeds and then processing them further with chemicals and heat to remove elements that can leave the oil cloudy or with an unpleasant taste or odor.—
Jonel Aleccia,
Chicago Tribune,
7 Mar. 2025
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.
Cite this Entry
“Confusing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/confusing. Accessed 14 Mar. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share