confuse

verb con·fuse \ kən-ˈfyüz \

|Updated on: 9 Aug 2018

Examples: confuse in a Sentence

Definition of confuse

confused; confusing

transitive verb

1 archaic : to bring to ruin

2 a : to make embarrassed : abash

b : to disturb in mind or purpose : throw off

The directions she gave confused us.

3 a : to make indistinct : blur

Stop confusing the issue.

b : to mix indiscriminately : jumble

Their arms, legs, and bodies were confused together, till they resembled … two serpents interlaced.
—Thomas Medwin

c : to fail to differentiate from an often similar or related other

confuse money with comfort

Do not confuse the words "flaunt" and "flout".

—

confusingly

play \kən-ˈfyü-ziŋ-lē\ adverb

See confuse defined for English-language learners

See confuse defined for kids

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 of confuse from the Web

Master the Art of Guesting Not to be confused with ghosting, although, there are some similarities.

— Vogue, "Vogue’s Guide to the Ultimate Fourth of July," 2 July 2018
This is another confusing one, but for different reasons.

— natalie maher, Billboard, "Drake's 9 Best Call-Outs on 'Scorpion'," 29 June 2018
Not to be confused with Pinstripes or for that matter Don Carter’s, Pinstack is more than a stack of pins.

— anna caplan, star-telegram, "Kids already bored this summer? Break the monotony at these tasty gaming destinations," 28 June 2018
Anything that can help to simplify the often confusing key-handoff process at an Airbnb is going to help the platform become easier to use.

— jacob kastrenakes, The Verge, "August locks can now provide key codes for Airbnb guests," 26 June 2018
Joanna Williams has always been a collector (not to be confused with hoarder).

— brooke porter katz, Condé Nast Traveler, "Kneeland Co.'s Joanna Williams Wants to Find You a Rare Souvenir," 15 June 2018
However, those efforts were plagued with chaotic, confusing scenes and stumbles over lines that made important moments less impactful.

— brandon t. harden, Philly.com, "'¡Bienvenidos Blancos! or Welcome White People': A chaotic mix of identity, Cuban history and white privilege," 22 Apr. 2018
There's something deeply confusing about wearing a long, warm coat with glorified soccer shorts.

— liz raiss, GQ, "Jonah Hill Solved Transitional Spring Style," 19 Apr. 2018
Congressional willingness to speak out, particularly among leading Republicans, follows confusing recent events that have exacerbated long-existing concerns.

— karen deyoung, Washington Post, "Lawmakers worry about securing U.S. goals in Syria as Trump looks for the exit," 18 Apr. 2018

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

Origin and Etymology of confuse

Middle English confusen, back-formation from confused "frustrated, ruined," participle based on Anglo-French confus, borrowed from Latin confūsus, past participle of confundere "to pour together, blend, bring into disorder, destroy, disconcert" — more at confound

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 14th century

in the meaning defined at sense 1

See Words from the same year

confuse Synonyms

CONFUSE Defined for English Language Learners

confuse

verb

Definition of confuse for English Language Learners

: to make (someone) uncertain or unable to understand something
: to make (something) difficult to understand
: to mistakenly think that one person or thing is another person or thing : to mistake (one person or thing) for another