confound

verb

con·found | \ kən-ˈfau̇nd

, kän-\

confounded; confounding; confounds

Definition of confound

transitive verb

1a archaic : to bring to ruin : destroy

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

2 obsolete : consume, waste

3a : to put to shame : discomfit a performance that confounded the critics

b : refute sought to confound his arguments

4 : damn

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

6a : 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

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 Gatwick drone episode proved confounding for a number of reasons, largely because authorities had no specific protocol for dealing with the UAV in such a sensitive environment. — Sam Blum, Popular Mechanics, "Another Drone Sighting Shuts Down the UK's Busiest Airport," 8 Jan. 2019 And unlimited options have confounded digitally savvy singles. — Robyn Metcalfe, WSJ, "The Life Story of Your Supermarket Chicken: Food Tracking Goes High-Tech," 21 Feb. 2019 Trump, who considers himself a master dealmaker, has confounded aides and allies at every turn of the fateful flirtation with the North. — Fox News, "Summit talk turns warmer; Trump says 'talking to them now'," 25 May 2018 Trump, who considers himself a master dealmaker, has confounded aides and allies at every turn of the fateful flirtation with the North. — Time, "'Everybody Plays Games.' Now Trump Is Saying His Summit With North Korea Could Happen," 25 May 2018 The search has confounded many NBA executives and industry insiders. — Josh Robbins, OrlandoSentinel.com, "Magic could have interest in Kelvin Sampson for coaching job," 16 May 2018 Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, commonly called Lou Gehrig’s disease, has long confounded some of the best minds in medicine. — Jonathan Saltzman, BostonGlobe.com, "Trials for potential ALS treatment spark cautious hope," 5 Apr. 2018 The injury has confounded the Spurs and left coach Gregg Popovich in a difficult position. — Usa Today Sports, USA TODAY, "Spurs' Danny Green refutes 'incorrect' report of players-only meeting regarding Kawhi Leonard," 22 Mar. 2018 Tesla confounded critics on Wednesday by reporting healthy profits and significantly positive cash flow in the third calendar quarter. — Timothy B. Lee, Ars Technica, "Why almost everyone was wrong about Tesla’s cash flow situation," 26 Oct. 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.