1
as in to confuse
to throw into a state of mental uncertainty
we were confounded by the player's remote control, which wasn't at all user-friendly
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to embarrass
to throw into a state of self-conscious distress
his renewed popularity has confounded the critics who said his singing career was dead
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in to conflate
to fail to differentiate (a thing) from something similar or related
I think you've confounded astrology with astronomy
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in to refute
to prove to be false
new discoveries that confound much of what archaeologists thought they knew about the Mayan civilization
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of confound
Menstrual cycles might confound the results, researchers worried—never mind that the approximately half of the population who have them might be interested in how the shifts influence their health.
—
Cindy Kuzma, SELF, 31 July 2025
To tunnel inside a Chekhov story is to feel a narrowing that confounds and vexes us—whether through poverty, despair, indolence, or self-delusion—and, simultaneously, to taste the boundlessness of human longing.
—Philip Metres
july 30, Literary Hub, 30 July 2025
When Burrell didn’t appear on the show’s 28th season, viewers were baffled and even Burrell herself was confounded.
—Thomas Tracy, New York Daily News, 24 July 2025
Publix’s success confounds some industry experts because the company has a track record of defying norms.
—Jolene Almendarez, The Enquirer, 2 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for confound
Cindy Kuzma, SELF, 31 July 2025
To tunnel inside a Chekhov story is to feel a narrowing that confounds and vexes us—whether through poverty, despair, indolence, or self-delusion—and, simultaneously, to taste the boundlessness of human longing.
—Philip Metres
july 30, Literary Hub, 30 July 2025
When Burrell didn’t appear on the show’s 28th season, viewers were baffled and even Burrell herself was confounded.
—Thomas Tracy, New York Daily News, 24 July 2025
Publix’s success confounds some industry experts because the company has a track record of defying norms.
—Jolene Almendarez, The Enquirer, 2 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for confound
Recent Examples of Synonyms for confound
Verb
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Leadership upheaval has inevitably confused the Athleta brand and after being a star while its parent floundered, two years into Dickson’s tenure the tables have turned.—
Mark Faithfull,
Forbes.com,
29 Aug. 2025
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Day-to-day practice has long relied on clinical tools that confuse race with biology.—
Craig Spencer,
The Atlantic,
29 Aug. 2025
Verb
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The Yanks finally reached the World Series last season for the first time since 2009, only to be embarrassed by the Los Angeles Dodgers in more ways than one.—
Ian O'Connor,
New York Times,
22 Aug. 2025
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That’s how the Detroit Lions’ social media team did Jack Jones last Thursday, embarrassing the Miami Dolphins cornerback while showing how dominant Amon-Ra St. Brown was during both team’s first of two joint practices.—
Miami Herald,
Miami Herald,
21 Aug. 2025
Verb
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Trump's claim of a 55% decline in U.S. auto production over 35 years is also refuted by industry data.—
Jamie L. LaReau,
Freep.com,
28 Aug. 2025
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In a statement to CNBC, Pulte noted that Cook did not attempt to refute the claims against her.—
Jeff Cox,
CNBC,
28 Aug. 2025
Verb
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The exhibition matchup is already creating controversy and has some perplexed, given both fighters were headed down very different paths.—
Brian Mazique,
Forbes.com,
20 Aug. 2025
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Brewers owner Bud Selig, who would later become MLB commissioner, was perplexed at how a team could win 13 straight in April and then lose 12 straight in May.—
Paul Sullivan,
Chicago Tribune,
17 Aug. 2025
Verb
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The problem is, one source says, anything overturned by the CRA can never be created again the same way.—
Christine Peterson,
Outdoor Life,
21 Aug. 2025
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The Supreme Court on Thursday overturned by a 5-4 decision a lower court order, deciding at least temporarily that the National Institutes of Health does not need to continue paying out approximately $783 million in research grants to projects that the NIH has since stopped funding.—
Nina Totenberg,
NPR,
21 Aug. 2025
Verb
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Wedged in the far southeastern corner of the bottom of the continent, between South Africa and Mozambique, Eswatini is the last absolute monarchy in Africa, a status that bewilders modernizers and beguiles traditionalists.—
The Editors,
JSTOR Daily,
15 Aug. 2025
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In the footage, the cat meticulously grooms Flan de Queso, while the little dog looks up, somewhat bewildered by the unexpected show of affection.—
Lydia Patrick,
MSNBC Newsweek,
11 Aug. 2025
Verb
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But the Newsom administration has tried to discredit that estimate since the independent auditor published the report last week.—
William Melhado,
Sacbee.com,
19 Aug. 2025
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Right-wing Channel 14 has devoted coverage in recent weeks to discrediting some reports of starving children.—
Emily Rose,
USA Today,
12 Aug. 2025
Verb
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First of all, I’m baffled how any sort of mail, let alone bags and bags of it, was able to travel from a bloody battlefield to London.—
Lincee Ray Published,
EW.com,
8 Aug. 2025
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But when Harper-as-Anna attempts to flirt with him, he’s baffled.—
Esther Zuckerman,
Vulture,
8 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Confound.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/confound. Accessed 3 Sep. 2025.
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