1
as in confuses
to fail to differentiate (a thing) from something similar or related
be careful not to conflate gossip with real news
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in combines
to turn into a single mass or entity that is more or less the same throughout
the movie conflates documentary footage and dramatized reenactments so seamlessly and ingeniously that viewers may not know what is real and what is not
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of conflates
This entire season has dissected the way that modern society conflates existential and economic purpose.
—
Spencer Kornhaber, The Atlantic, 2 Mar. 2026
Given that women in other countries do wear lipstick as an act of resistance today, suggesting that American feminists did so in 1912 conflates their wildly different cultural contexts, and blurs one’s sense of what constitutes public dissidence.
—Literary Hub, 18 Feb. 2026
Tate’s commentary instead conflates population-level decline (NAEP) with performance among a selective, higher-achieving subset of students (SAT/ACT), and then treats this mismatch as evidence of test manipulation.
—Ryan Craig, Forbes.com, 16 Jan. 2026
Critics say that definition conflates criticism of the Israeli government with antisemitism.
—Chris Sommerfeldt, New York Daily News, 2 Jan. 2026
Nobility is a social construct that conflates social status with positive character traits and has been used for centuries to justify the hoarding of power and wealth.
—F.d. Flam, Twin Cities, 22 Nov. 2025
The claim conflates strategic instruments with objectives.
—Moritz S. Graefrath, Foreign Affairs, 19 Nov. 2025
Among the crowds, which have on occasion contained tens of thousands, there have been displays of violent antisemitic sentiment, as well as language that conflates enmity toward Israel, Zionism and Jews themselves.
—Alex Holmes, NBC news, 3 Oct. 2025
Spencer Kornhaber, The Atlantic, 2 Mar. 2026
Given that women in other countries do wear lipstick as an act of resistance today, suggesting that American feminists did so in 1912 conflates their wildly different cultural contexts, and blurs one’s sense of what constitutes public dissidence.
—Literary Hub, 18 Feb. 2026
Tate’s commentary instead conflates population-level decline (NAEP) with performance among a selective, higher-achieving subset of students (SAT/ACT), and then treats this mismatch as evidence of test manipulation.
—Ryan Craig, Forbes.com, 16 Jan. 2026
Critics say that definition conflates criticism of the Israeli government with antisemitism.
—Chris Sommerfeldt, New York Daily News, 2 Jan. 2026
Nobility is a social construct that conflates social status with positive character traits and has been used for centuries to justify the hoarding of power and wealth.
—F.d. Flam, Twin Cities, 22 Nov. 2025
The claim conflates strategic instruments with objectives.
—Moritz S. Graefrath, Foreign Affairs, 19 Nov. 2025
Among the crowds, which have on occasion contained tens of thousands, there have been displays of violent antisemitic sentiment, as well as language that conflates enmity toward Israel, Zionism and Jews themselves.
—Alex Holmes, NBC news, 3 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for conflates
Verb
-
The low-performing chefs are Rhoda, whose lamb confuses the kids; Sherry, whose grits were oddly flavored; and Oscar, whose puff pastry soaked up all the deep-fryer oil.—
Roxana Hadadi,
Vulture,
7 Apr. 2026
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Learn about Outside Online's affiliate link policy Go somewhere that confuses your algorithm.—
Kevin Sintumuang,
Outside,
10 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Clean Acne features blue LED lights to kill acne-causing bacteria while the Clean Redvolution combines the cleansing power of PMD Clean with the rejuvenating treatment of red light therapy.—
Tory Johnson,
ABC News,
13 Apr. 2026
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Named by Travel + Leisure as one of 2025’s best new hotels, Atzaro Okavango Safari Camp in Botswana combines luxury and responsible tourism.—
Patricia Doherty,
Travel + Leisure,
12 Apr. 2026
Verb
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The budget, which will be debated and adjusted by the mayor and the City Council, also merges three city departments into others and eliminates the Office of Child and Youth Success.—
Noah Lyons,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
17 Apr. 2026
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While Calderone leans across her oxblood lacquer island in the April issue and embraces high-gloss ceilings in the media room of her Tribeca apartment, this month Grattan stands commandingly before a parrot green lacquer frame that merges with its equally colorful surroundings.—
Julia Harrison,
Architectural Digest,
15 Apr. 2026
Verb
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The company integrates robot hardware, AI models, and large-scale data infrastructure to enable continuous learning and improvement.—
Jijo Malayil,
Interesting Engineering,
15 Apr. 2026
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Under his leadership, the nonprofit Associates in Research and Education for Development has partnered with public schools and education authorities to expand bilingual education that integrates native languages with French from the earliest years of learning.—
Catherine Russell,
Time,
15 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Potting mixes degrade over time and may start to drain poorly.—
Lauren Landers,
Better Homes & Gardens,
12 Apr. 2026
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Co-created by and starring Dan Levy, the darkly funny series mixes dysfunctional family antics with the drama of being pulled into an organized crime ring.—
Rebecca Aizin,
PEOPLE,
10 Apr. 2026
Verb
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These oral tools also come with Oxyjet Technology, which incorporates tiny bubbles of air into the water stream to better remove particles and clean the teeth and gums.—
BestReviews,
Mercury News,
16 Apr. 2026
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The finished bridge incorporates 4,851,700 rivets, 1,016,600 steel bolts, 931,000 tons of concrete and cables made from 42,000 miles of wire, with 552‑foot‑tall main towers, 199 feet of ship clearance at midspan, a five‑mile total length and an opening price tag of $100 million.—
Andy Morrison,
USA Today,
15 Apr. 2026
Verb
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The hotel blends historic charm with modern design, featuring Art Deco interiors, high ceilings, and spacious bathrooms.—
Regan Stephens,
Travel + Leisure,
16 Apr. 2026
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The two specialty cocktails are the Herb Garden Elixir made with tequila blanco, cucumber, jalapenos, basil and lime, and the Planet Punch, which blends tequila reposado, passion fruit, orange juice, lime and grenadine.—
Carlos Rico,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
16 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Conflates.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/conflates. Accessed 19 Apr. 2026.
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