confound

verb

con·found | \ kən-ˈfau̇nd

, kän-\

confounded; confounding; confounds

Definition of confound

transitive verb

1 : to throw (a person) into confusion or perplexity tactics to confound the enemy

2a : refute sought to confound his arguments

b : to put to shame : discomfit a performance that confounded the critics

3 : damn

4a : to fail to discern differences between : mix up They implored Charles not to confound the innocent with the guilty …— T. B. Macaulay

b : to increase the confusion of

5a : baffle, frustrate Conferences … are not for accomplishment but to confound knavish tricks.— John Kenneth Galbraith

b archaic : to bring to ruin : destroy

6 obsolete : consume, waste

Other Words from confound Synonyms Choose the Right Synonym More Example Sentences Learn More about confound

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Other Words from confound

confounder \ kən-ˈfau̇n-dər

, kän- \ noun

confoundingly \ kən-ˈfau̇n-diŋ-lē

, kän- \ adverb

Choose the Right Synonym for confound

puzzle, perplex, bewilder, distract, nonplus, confound, dumbfound mean to baffle and disturb mentally. puzzle implies existence of a problem difficult to solve. the persistent fever puzzled the doctor perplex adds a suggestion of worry and uncertainty especially about making a necessary decision. a behavior that perplexed her friends bewilder stresses a confusion of mind that hampers clear and decisive thinking. a bewildering number of possibilities distract implies agitation or uncertainty induced by conflicting preoccupations or interests. distracted by personal problems nonplus implies a bafflement that makes orderly planning or deciding impossible. the remark left us utterly nonplussed confound implies temporary mental paralysis caused by astonishment or profound abasement. the tragic news confounded us all dumbfound suggests intense but momentary confounding; often the idea of astonishment is so stressed that it becomes a near synonym of astound. was at first too dumbfounded to reply

Examples of confound in a Sentence

The strategy confounded our opponents. The murder case has confounded investigators. The school's team confounded all predictions and won the game. The success of the show confounded critics.

Recent Examples on the Web

The outfit, along with his thick beard, has a way of confounding expectations. — Kyle Peterson, WSJ, "An Astronomer’s View of the Christmas Sky," 21 Dec. 2018 Those searching for clues as to whether Trump has a shot at ever forging a new relationship with North Korea may come away from this book as confounded as ever. — Chris Woodyard, USA TODAY, "New book: Insider's account of North Korea reveals why Trump may be forever disappointed," 29 May 2018 Instead] of playing a politician, Cynthia Nixon has decided to become one, a choice many have found confounding. — James Hohmann, Washington Post, "The Daily 202: How James Comey’s battles with the Bush White House prepared him to stand up to Trump," 16 Apr. 2018 The Enquirer/Cara Owsley Nearly a year after the fatal shooting that confounded and dismayed so many, two arrests have been made in the death of 9-year-old Alexandrea Thompson. — Cameron Knight, Cincinnati.com, "Pair accused of fatally shooting 9-year-old Alexandrea 'Sissy' Thompson arraigned," 11 Jan. 2018 Baseball is confounding and confusing, irritating but entertaining, predictable yet full of surprises. — David Haugh, chicagotribune.com, "Cubs' rough weekend in Cincinnati should be viewed as a blip, not a red flag," 25 June 2018 The scene nicely encapsulates what is confounding and compelling about this new production. — Chloe Schama, Vogue, "In Saint Joan, Condola Rashad Stars as an Uneasy Heroine for Our Time," 26 Apr. 2018 The groups share language and geography, so these can be removed as confounding factors when men from different castes act differently in this cooperation game. — Diana Gitig, Ars Technica, "Low-caste men in India cooperate like college students," 7 Nov. 2018 His second project in that arrangement -- Lullabys, Legends and Lies, built around songs by colorful songwriter-author-Playboy contributor Shel Silverstein -- confounded the label. — Tom Roland, Billboard, "Inside the 'Outlaws & Armadillos' Exhibit at the Country Music Hall Of Fame," 22 May 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'confound.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.