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
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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
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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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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
This effect is clearly seen in historical GDP data, as the figure below shows, although there are obviously many confounding factors.
—
Michael Lynch, Forbes.com, 14 June 2025
Partisan debate about the evidence often tends to ignore the vast number of confounding factors such as low interest rates, falling number of start-ups, special time periods chosen for the analysis and large number of acquisitions of public firms and the 7% IPO tax.
—Shivaram Rajgopal, Forbes.com, 8 June 2025
Her recipe included ingredients sure to confound egg and butter die-hards: Applesauce, nondairy milk, apple cider vinegar.
—Will Matsuda, New York Times, 23 May 2025
For Collins, Jeddah airport confounded his expectations of Saudi Arabia.
—Julia Buckley, CNN Money, 6 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for confound
Michael Lynch, Forbes.com, 14 June 2025
Partisan debate about the evidence often tends to ignore the vast number of confounding factors such as low interest rates, falling number of start-ups, special time periods chosen for the analysis and large number of acquisitions of public firms and the 7% IPO tax.
—Shivaram Rajgopal, Forbes.com, 8 June 2025
Her recipe included ingredients sure to confound egg and butter die-hards: Applesauce, nondairy milk, apple cider vinegar.
—Will Matsuda, New York Times, 23 May 2025
For Collins, Jeddah airport confounded his expectations of Saudi Arabia.
—Julia Buckley, CNN Money, 6 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for confound
Recent Examples of Synonyms for confound
Verb
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Map their journey to spot every gap, make buying effortless with fewer steps, communicate clearly so no one gets confused, add personal touches that create connection, and follow up fast to turn buyers into advocates.—
Jodie Cook,
Forbes.com,
18 June 2025
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Letters: Washington, D.C., has a deficit of humanity Do not confuse my warning to Israel for a shred of understanding for what Hamas did on Oct. 7, 2023.—
Thomas L. Friedman,
Mercury News,
14 June 2025
Verb
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And best of all, no one could possibly be embarrassed by these empathetic words.—
Chicago Tribune,
Chicago Tribune,
21 June 2025
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Mavericks 4-2 over Heat (2011): Dirk Nowitzki and the Mavs absolutely embarrassed the Heatles.—
Zach Harper,
New York Times,
20 June 2025
Verb
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Reports on the ground refuted those characterizations.—
Jeremy Pressman,
The Conversation,
15 June 2025
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But Burton, the stepfather, refuted claims that Williams was violent toward his family.—
Colin Mixson,
New York Daily News,
15 June 2025
Verb
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With appetites for true crime documentaries seemingly insatiable, some viewers will be perplexed and even frustrated at how the directors don’t want to play investigative reporter or detective.—
Daniel Fienberg,
HollywoodReporter,
6 June 2025
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They’re perplexed by the new arrival in their midst, but in time Laura and the lonely, unforthcoming Max warm to each other, and the four form an odd, intuitive family unit.—
Guy Lodge,
Variety,
17 May 2025
Verb
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The measure is designed to overturn a series of executive orders by Trump, including banning transgender troops in the U.S. military and blocking transgender students from playing on girls’ sports teams.—
Christopher Keating,
Hartford Courant,
21 June 2025
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Thursday night's ruling overturned a temporary restraining order that had been paused during appeals.—
Dennis Romero,
NBC news,
20 June 2025
Verb
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Lynskey says she’s been bewildered by the fans who’ve directed online vitriol at Shauna this season, while seemingly forgiving the sins of Shauna’s husband Jeff (Warren Cole) and the heinous crimes committed by Misty (Christina Ricci).—
Todd Longwell,
Variety,
2 June 2025
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Both were bewildered by this fashion design travesty.—
Sherry Kuehl,
Kansas City Star,
13 May 2025
Verb
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Terrible policy Perhaps Gabbard is sounding the alarm to discredit efforts — including a sanctions bill held up in Congress pending a green light from Trump — to pressure Putin into a meaningful negotiation on ending his war.—
Marc Champion,
Mercury News,
13 June 2025
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The irony is that the FTC is blind to the meaning of such substantial investment from Amazon, the very investment that thoroughly discredits the FTC’s case.—
John Tamny,
Forbes.com,
9 June 2025
Verb
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When Burrell wasn’t tapped to join the show’s 28th season in January — after playing a central role in the first 27 — viewers were appalled and even Burrell was baffled.—
Joseph Wilkinson,
New York Daily News,
18 June 2025
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What baffles researchers is that some people who suffer from chronic pain report not having a past injury or evidence of illness.—
Nicole Pajer,
People.com,
17 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Confound.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/confound. Accessed 1 Jul. 2025.
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