confuse 1 of 3

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

confusing

2 of 3

adjective

confusing

3 of 3

verb (2)

present participle of confuse
1
2
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
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
Verb
Escape from the Palisades: Split-second decision-making, confusing responses. Ryan Fonseca, Los Angeles Times, 3 Feb. 2025 Nonprofits, hospitals and health departments ordered to comply Letters obtained by CBS News sent to nonprofits and state and local health departments receiving federal health dollars also left some grant recipients confused. Alexander Tin, CBS News, 31 Jan. 2025 The group, which formed last year to address concerns about women’s health care, said the officials proposed language that could confuse voters if the measure qualifies to be on ballots. Nicole Blanchard, Idaho Statesman, 31 Jan. 2025 That’s the trap: confusing necessary recovery with an excuse to stay comfortable. King Holder, Rolling Stone, 30 Jan. 2025 See all Example Sentences for confuse 
Recent Examples of Synonyms for confuse
Adjective
  • An aviation expert, along with the Army pilot, tells PEOPLE that Reagan National Airport can be especially difficult to fly into.
    Samira Asma-Sadeque, People.com, 30 Jan. 2025
  • Challenges of an Airline Pilot's Lifestyle Beyond the technical demands of the job, Wallach said the most difficult part of being a pilot was the lifestyle—particularly as a single parent.
    Thomas G. Moukawsher, Newsweek, 30 Jan. 2025
Adjective
  • Every little facet of their lives becomes a perplexing anthropological study, an affirmation to older people that youth is wasted on the young.
    Alex Abad-Santos, Vox, 7 Feb. 2025
  • Equally perplexing, the president’s tax plan ignores the well-being of these same families and their children.
    Bruce Fuller, Baltimore Sun, 6 Feb. 2025
Adjective
  • Mortgage rates have crept back over 7% to start the new year in a potentially troublesome development for the housing market that has struggled under the weight of higher interest rates for two years that have priced people out of the market and slowed sales to 20-year lows.
    Austin Denean, Baltimore Sun, 17 Jan. 2025
  • For those concerned about the digital spread of misinformation, deepfakes—videos of a person in which their face or body has been digitally altered—have become particularly troublesome over the past few years.
    Daniel R. Depetris, Newsweek, 10 Jan. 2025
Adjective
  • This may be baffling to the internet’s many Last Showgirl skeptics, but chalk it up to her indefatigable campaigning, as well as the Everything Everywhere All at Once afterglow.
    Nate Jones, Vulture, 18 Jan. 2025
  • Even more baffling was the introduction of the supernatural in season 2.
    Sara Netzley, EW.com, 21 Dec. 2024
Adjective
  • The standard screening test for colon cancer is through colonoscopy, but this can require patients to go through unpleasant bowel preparation and to then be anesthetized during the medical procedure.
    Thomas G. Moukawsher, Newsweek, 30 Jan. 2025
  • The situation looked like a hoarder had lived there, very difficult to traverse through the residence, and the odor was extraordinarily unpleasant.
    Charlotte Phillipp, People.com, 26 Jan. 2025
Adjective
  • What made this call even more puzzling was the fact that replays showed To'oTo'o's hit appeared to make more contact with his own teammate than with Mahomes himself.
    Gordon G. Chang, Newsweek, 25 Jan. 2025
  • One of the more puzzling things to observe over the past many years in higher education is the lack of scrutiny, or even basic curiosity, about online colleges and online college programs.
    Derek Newton, Forbes, 17 Jan. 2025
Adjective
  • That kind of runaway success is nearly impossible to replicate, as the band found out with their subsequent albums.
    Marcus Jones, EW.com, 2 Feb. 2025
  • Snow and ice accumulations could make travel nearly impossible, especially during the Friday evening commute.
    Daniel R. Depetris, Newsweek, 1 Feb. 2025
Adjective
  • Asking the chatbot for music recommendations will return a boring, unwieldy list.
    Matteo Wong, The Atlantic, 29 Jan. 2025
  • The reality of a virus that will impact supply chains, farmers and manufacturers is an unwieldy opponent for any politicians to face, least of all one who has promised to lower grocery costs.
    Gordon G. Chang, Newsweek, 24 Jan. 2025

Thesaurus Entries Near confuse

Cite this Entry

“Confuse.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/confuse. Accessed 11 Feb. 2025.

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