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
1
as in difficult
Synonyms & Similar Words
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
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Recent Examples of confuse
Newsweek Staff, MSNBC Newsweek, 4 Apr. 2025
With a Department of Food, inspectors would be able to oversee all food types, from burgers to veggie patties, without confusing jurisdictional overlap.
—Francisco Velasquez, Quartz, 3 Apr. 2025
Adam DeVine was told to 'stick to the script' on Modern Family after confusing Sofia Vergara with improv
DeVine detailed his childhood accident to Entertainment Weekly in 2016.
—Ryan Coleman, EW.com, 3 Apr. 2025
The Dodgers are on Spectrum SportsNet LA, which is not to be confused with Spectrum SportsNet, which carries the Lakers.
—Chad Jennings, New York Times, 26 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for confuse
Verb
What To Know Cooper, a senior fellow at the American Enterprise Institute, argues that modest upfront payments could reignite engagement among borrowers who have become disillusioned or confused by fluctuating federal policy.
—Newsweek Staff, MSNBC Newsweek, 4 Apr. 2025
With a Department of Food, inspectors would be able to oversee all food types, from burgers to veggie patties, without confusing jurisdictional overlap.
—Francisco Velasquez, Quartz, 3 Apr. 2025
Adam DeVine was told to 'stick to the script' on Modern Family after confusing Sofia Vergara with improv
DeVine detailed his childhood accident to Entertainment Weekly in 2016.
—Ryan Coleman, EW.com, 3 Apr. 2025
The Dodgers are on Spectrum SportsNet LA, which is not to be confused with Spectrum SportsNet, which carries the Lakers.
—Chad Jennings, New York Times, 26 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for confuse
Recent Examples of Synonyms for confuse
Adjective
-
Third, operational command of Kamikaze planes is difficult because results cannot be evaluated with any accuracy.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
11 Apr. 2025
-
Instead, the major drama comes in the form of Ivy’s corruption by her acting coach, as Ivy gradually goes method and becomes as difficult to work with as Marilyn was (one of this musical’s many meta moments).—
Christian Lewis,
Variety,
11 Apr. 2025
Adjective
-
Despite these extraordinary gains, recent research published in PNAS Nexus highlights two deeply perplexing contradictions in women’s psychological well-being: the paradox of declining female happiness and the paradox of the contented female worker.—
Ximena Araya-Fischel,
Forbes.com,
7 Apr. 2025
-
Queen’s habit of grinning in intense huddles or after a bad practice is both endearing and perplexing.—
Lindsay Schnell,
New York Times,
26 Mar. 2025
Adjective
-
The new apartment building at 3627-3633 N. Sheffield typifies this troublesome direction.—
Edward Keegan,
Chicago Tribune,
6 Apr. 2025
-
This classic tale helped make Taylor a star, giving her a showcase as a young woman who dreams of entering a troublesome horse in England's Grand National steeplechase.—
EW Staff,
EW.com,
3 Apr. 2025
Adjective
-
While Joel is essentially the same character in both, Ellie was changed in pretty baffling ways for the show.—
Erik Kain,
Forbes.com,
14 Apr. 2025
-
But the reality is that this was a microcosm of this thrilling, frustrating and baffling Wolves season.—
Jon Krawczynski,
New York Times,
9 Apr. 2025
Adjective
-
With the present geopolitical situation and the Russian invasion of Ukraine, landmines are making a very unpleasant comeback.—
David Szondy,
New Atlas,
10 Apr. 2025
-
In our testing, the formula feels like a gel-serum—and doesn't get heavy, gloopy, or otherwise unpleasant.—
Christa Joanna Lee,
Allure,
9 Apr. 2025
Adjective
-
This is somewhat puzzling because a core tenet of cosmology is that at sufficiently large intergalactic scales, the universe’s properties and structure should be essentially the same in all directions.—
Paul M. Sutter,
Scientific American,
1 Apr. 2025
-
As biologists studied the problem in the years after the initial detection, however, some noticed a puzzling pattern.—
ByWarren Cornwall,
science.org,
9 Jan. 2025
Adjective
-
Jokić nearly broke the all-time mark for Player Efficiency Rating (PER), whatever that is, and completed the seemingly impossible feat of averaging a triple-double while playing center.—
John Hollinger,
New York Times,
14 Apr. 2025
-
Quantum internet is designed to be resistant to these threats, making data breaches nearly impossible.—
Kurt Knutsson, CyberGuy Report,
FOXNews.com,
14 Apr. 2025
Adjective
-
Providing succulents with too much fertilizer can cause these plants to grow too quickly and develop unwieldy stems that are prone to breaking. 6.—
Lauren Landers,
Better Homes & Gardens,
11 Feb. 2025
-
The New York Yankees injury list is reaching unwieldy levels.—
Russel Honoré,
Newsweek,
6 Mar. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Confuse.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/confuse. Accessed 18 Apr. 2025.
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