confused; confusing
1
: to disturb in mind or purpose : throw off
The directions she gave confused us.
2
a
: to make indistinct : blur
Stop confusing the issue.
b
: to fail to differentiate from an often similar or related other
confuse money with comfort
Do not confuse the words "flaunt" and "flout."
c
: to mix indiscriminately : jumble
Their arms, legs, and bodies were confused together, till they resembled … two serpents interlaced.—
Thomas Medwin
Thomas Medwin3
: to make embarrassed : abash
4
archaic
: to bring to ruin
Examples of confuse in a Sentence
The general was trying to confuse the enemy.
The new evidence only confused matters further.
You must be confusing me with someone else.
Recent Examples on the Web
The sheer bulk of the suit might confuse the human eye from a distance, but in large open spaces, like snowfields, anything that looks a little odd will stand out.
—Christopher McFadden, Interesting Engineering, 31 Jan. 2026
Many people confuse the center with Crossroads Church or Crossroad Health Center, Pelicano said.
—Bebe Hodges, Cincinnati Enquirer, 30 Jan. 2026
Too many turnaround attempts see a CEO throwing spaghetti at the wall in the hopes something will work, further confusing the rank and file and sapping their confidence in management.
—Phil Wahba, Fortune, 30 Jan. 2026
The authors never claimed to have demonstrated that such reading generates feelings of empathy, though others—including the New York Times—have sometimes confused those high scores as evidence of empathy.
—Literary Hub, 29 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for confuse
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Christopher McFadden, Interesting Engineering, 31 Jan. 2026
Many people confuse the center with Crossroads Church or Crossroad Health Center, Pelicano said.
—Bebe Hodges, Cincinnati Enquirer, 30 Jan. 2026
Too many turnaround attempts see a CEO throwing spaghetti at the wall in the hopes something will work, further confusing the rank and file and sapping their confidence in management.
—Phil Wahba, Fortune, 30 Jan. 2026
The authors never claimed to have demonstrated that such reading generates feelings of empathy, though others—including the New York Times—have sometimes confused those high scores as evidence of empathy.
—Literary Hub, 29 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for confuse
Cite this Entry
“Confuse.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/confuse. Accessed 1 Feb. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
confuse
verb
con·fuse
kən-ˈfyüz 
confused; confusing
1
a
: to make mentally foggy or uncertain : perplex
the complicated problem confused us
b
: to cause to be embarrassed or upset
2
: to make unclear : blur
stop confusing the issue
3
: to make disordered : jumble
the cords were all confused together
4
: to fail to tell apart
teachers always confused the twins
confusedly
adverb
-ˈfyüz(-ə)d-lē
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