1
as in confusing
to fail to differentiate (a thing) from something similar or related
be careful not to conflate gossip with real news
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in combining
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 conflating
The first is conflating selling with self-promotion.
—
Cynthia Pong, Forbes.com, 24 May 2026
Don’t make this mistake of conflating style with substance.
—Rachel Marsden, Hartford Courant, 16 May 2026
Neighbors like the crypto mine next door to Shadden are what data center opponents want to avoid, though data center industry cautions against conflating the two.
—Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 7 May 2026
What most people get wrong is conflating the theme of the exhibition with the dress code for the evening.
—José Criales-Unzueta, Vanity Fair, 2 May 2026
By conflating antiauthoritarian arguments with incitement, conservatives are making the same error but following it to the opposite conclusion.
—Jonathan Chait, The Atlantic, 28 Apr. 2026
The Beauty is about wanting to nip and tuck ourselves into better versions, but conflating that desire with actual scientific research is odd.
—Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 10 Mar. 2026
The report states that a series of conflating issues, such as widespread budget cuts, technological disruption, the dominance of streamers, and economic instability, have caused the feeling of fear and crisis across the industry.
—Zac Ntim, Deadline, 5 Feb. 2026
Stacy Hawthorne, board chair of the Consortium for School Networking, an association for school technology officials that signed the letter, is concerned that some are conflating social media, which can cause problems for children, with technology more broadly, which can help students learn.
—Tyler Kingkade, NBC news, 23 Jan. 2026
Cynthia Pong, Forbes.com, 24 May 2026
Don’t make this mistake of conflating style with substance.
—Rachel Marsden, Hartford Courant, 16 May 2026
Neighbors like the crypto mine next door to Shadden are what data center opponents want to avoid, though data center industry cautions against conflating the two.
—Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 7 May 2026
What most people get wrong is conflating the theme of the exhibition with the dress code for the evening.
—José Criales-Unzueta, Vanity Fair, 2 May 2026
By conflating antiauthoritarian arguments with incitement, conservatives are making the same error but following it to the opposite conclusion.
—Jonathan Chait, The Atlantic, 28 Apr. 2026
The Beauty is about wanting to nip and tuck ourselves into better versions, but conflating that desire with actual scientific research is odd.
—Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 10 Mar. 2026
The report states that a series of conflating issues, such as widespread budget cuts, technological disruption, the dominance of streamers, and economic instability, have caused the feeling of fear and crisis across the industry.
—Zac Ntim, Deadline, 5 Feb. 2026
Stacy Hawthorne, board chair of the Consortium for School Networking, an association for school technology officials that signed the letter, is concerned that some are conflating social media, which can cause problems for children, with technology more broadly, which can help students learn.
—Tyler Kingkade, NBC news, 23 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for conflating
Verb
-
Relocating a bird's nest is confusing for the parents, dangerous for the eggs, and, in most cases, against the law.—
Blythe Copeland,
Martha Stewart,
6 June 2026
-
Since tickets went on sale last year, there has been ongoing controversy surrounding the cost of attendance, from confusing (and expensive) ticket prices to high transit costs.—
Joe Murphy,
NBC news,
1 June 2026
Verb
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First class Etihad Apartments; Singapore Suites; combing first class on Airbus A380s on all the major Gulf airlines in a single trip; combining six different airline first class products in a single round trip.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
3 June 2026
-
Fewer couples are combining their finances, especially younger Americans.—
Joshua Sidorowicz,
CBS News,
3 June 2026
Verb
-
On the football field, there is no mistaking New York Giants wide receiver Malik Nabers.—
Ryan Canfield,
FOXNews.com,
3 June 2026
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For the past 40 years, Boise State football’s blue turf has drawn jokes and jabs, and there has been that urban myth about how all manner of birds were mistaking the field for a giant pond, resulting in their crashing-landing like a quarterback taking a big hit from a charging linebacker.—
Shaun Goodwin,
Idaho Statesman,
2 June 2026
Verb
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The service From those on reception to the barmen mixing the cocktails, staff are helpful and friendly, without being over-the-top attentive.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
2 June 2026
-
Yakgwa is a type of traditional Korean cookie made by mixing wheat flour with honey, sesame oil, ginger juice and a bit of rice wine and then pressing the dough mixture into a mold and deep-frying it.—
Regina Kim,
Forbes.com,
1 June 2026
Verb
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The more such institutions can resist integrating AI tools into every aspect of their operations, and instead incentivize human intellectual engagement even at the expense of efficiency, the better as far as patience is concerned.—
Christian B. Miller,
The Conversation,
4 June 2026
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The distinction Allen draws — between hiding nutrition and integrating it — is the heart of the trend.—
Lauren Jarvis-Gibson,
Charlotte Observer,
4 June 2026
Verb
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One man from Philadelphia is on a mission to collect a bottle of beer produced in each country — merging his affection for soccer and suds ahead of the tournament.—
Chilekasi Adele,
CBS News,
3 June 2026
-
The acts played the same local haunts and campus functions before merging into a supergroup that would alter the course of modern music history.—
Ryan Coleman,
Entertainment Weekly,
1 June 2026
Verb
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Pride Month kicks off nationwide with parades from major metros to small towns, blending rainbow celebration with protest roots as LGBTQ+ communities face renewed political attacks on rights and inclusion.—
Geoff Mulvihill,
Los Angeles Times,
2 June 2026
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Even better, these sleek shoes act as closet chameleons, blending seamlessly with everything from office outfits to errands ensembles without issue.—
Averi Baudler,
PEOPLE,
2 June 2026
Verb
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To Coimbra, some key questions involved amalgamating real-life characters into fictionalized ones while still honoring victims and survivors, as well as faithfully recreating the look and feel of the time.—
Rafa Sales Ross,
Variety,
6 Apr. 2026
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By amalgamating these museological devices into the artwork, Aram directly upsets the threefold impulse to pierce form with meaning, to arrest color with identity, and to neutralize bodies with limits.—
Julian Stern,
Artforum,
24 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Conflating.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/conflating. Accessed 7 Jun. 2026.
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