1
as in cursed
deserving of one's condemnation or displeasure
that confounded dog chewed up my shoe
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in perplexed
faced with difficulty or uncertainty about what to say, think, or do
the sudden burden of familial responsibility has left him anxious and confounded
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in bewildered
suffering from mental confusion
since their house is old and impressive-looking, they are frequently imposed upon by confounded tourists
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in baffled
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 embarrassed
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 confused
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 refuted
to prove to be false
new discoveries that confound much of what archaeologists thought they knew about the Mayan civilization
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of confounded
Andrew Callahan, Boston Herald, 16 Aug. 2025
The displeasure of it gave way to absurdity, out of which emerged a mutual, confounded glee.
—Kent Russell, Harper's Magazine, 15 Sep. 2020
In Europe itself, Greece has so far confounded predictions by avoiding the kind of mass outbreaks that have claimed tens of thousands of lives in Italy, France, and Britain.
—Ned Temko, The Christian Science Monitor, 6 May 2020
And with wild swings on Tuesday, the markets proved those predictions correct, a marker of how confounded investors appear as the covid-19 economic crisis takes a fuller form.
—Jacob Bogage, BostonGlobe.com, 31 Mar. 2020
The Germans are no less confounded than the Democrats.
—Susan B. Glasser, The New Yorker, 14 June 2019
Learn how to work the confounded thing at free Android smartphone workshops being held in South Florida, sponsored by the American Association of Retired Persons.
—Doreen Christensen, Sun-Sentinel.com, 9 Mar. 2018
For decades, recovery stories like this confounded researchers, who characterized autism as a lifelong condition.
—Brendan Borrell, Slate Magazine, 22 Sep. 2017
Erik Hayden, HollywoodReporter, 2 Sep. 2025
Lionel Messi, who at 38, has confounded the opposition with so many goals and assists for a generation.
—Michael Lewis, Forbes.com, 30 Aug. 2025
Lockwood has admired Plath for years; what confounded her was the biographical approach to her work, the terrible death inflecting everything that came before.
—Alexandra Schwartz, New Yorker, 25 Aug. 2025
The conundrum of the stock market going down ahead of Jackson Hole confounded me.
—Jim Cramer, CNBC, 24 Aug. 2025
In response, God confounded their language and scattered them across the Earth, halting the construction and fragmenting their unity.
—Kaif Shaikh, Interesting Engineering, 15 Aug. 2025
The injury confounded what was already a long-shot bid for the NFL.
—Daniel Libit, Sportico.com, 11 Aug. 2025
The album confounded some critics upon its release, but was roundly embraced by fans as their favorite artist’s most unguarded statement to date.
—Jason Lipshutz, Billboard, 19 Dec. 2024
Strands, our word search puzzle game, has confounded and enthralled solvers.
—New York Times, 18 Dec. 2024
Adjective
The Vikings defense hounded Maye, a veteran unit that ranked second in takeaways last year and confounded veteran quarterbacks with its exotic pressure packages.
—Andrew Callahan, Boston Herald, 16 Aug. 2025
The displeasure of it gave way to absurdity, out of which emerged a mutual, confounded glee.
—Kent Russell, Harper's Magazine, 15 Sep. 2020
In Europe itself, Greece has so far confounded predictions by avoiding the kind of mass outbreaks that have claimed tens of thousands of lives in Italy, France, and Britain.
—Ned Temko, The Christian Science Monitor, 6 May 2020
And with wild swings on Tuesday, the markets proved those predictions correct, a marker of how confounded investors appear as the covid-19 economic crisis takes a fuller form.
—Jacob Bogage, BostonGlobe.com, 31 Mar. 2020
The Germans are no less confounded than the Democrats.
—Susan B. Glasser, The New Yorker, 14 June 2019
Learn how to work the confounded thing at free Android smartphone workshops being held in South Florida, sponsored by the American Association of Retired Persons.
—Doreen Christensen, Sun-Sentinel.com, 9 Mar. 2018
For decades, recovery stories like this confounded researchers, who characterized autism as a lifelong condition.
—Brendan Borrell, Slate Magazine, 22 Sep. 2017
Verb
The wire transfer to seal the deal never went through, Spin CEO Jimmy Hutcheson says, a move that confounded the management team at the publisher as the window to close expired.
—Erik Hayden, HollywoodReporter, 2 Sep. 2025
Lionel Messi, who at 38, has confounded the opposition with so many goals and assists for a generation.
—Michael Lewis, Forbes.com, 30 Aug. 2025
Lockwood has admired Plath for years; what confounded her was the biographical approach to her work, the terrible death inflecting everything that came before.
—Alexandra Schwartz, New Yorker, 25 Aug. 2025
The conundrum of the stock market going down ahead of Jackson Hole confounded me.
—Jim Cramer, CNBC, 24 Aug. 2025
In response, God confounded their language and scattered them across the Earth, halting the construction and fragmenting their unity.
—Kaif Shaikh, Interesting Engineering, 15 Aug. 2025
The injury confounded what was already a long-shot bid for the NFL.
—Daniel Libit, Sportico.com, 11 Aug. 2025
The album confounded some critics upon its release, but was roundly embraced by fans as their favorite artist’s most unguarded statement to date.
—Jason Lipshutz, Billboard, 19 Dec. 2024
Strands, our word search puzzle game, has confounded and enthralled solvers.
—New York Times, 18 Dec. 2024
Recent Examples of Synonyms for confounded
Adjective
-
This is the cursed object that shows up at the Smurls, though the actual conjuring mirror – long a mainstay in the Warrens' Occult Museum, alongside the infamous Annabelle – was obtained from a man in New Jersey.—
Brian Truitt,
USA Today,
5 Sep. 2025
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The new documentary Boorman and the Devil mostly answers that question affirmatively, providing a play-by-play account of the film’s troubled — and as many believed, cursed — production, followed by its catastrophic reception.—
Jordan Mintzer,
HollywoodReporter,
5 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
Another surprise that has long perplexed researchers is those algorithms’ knack for their own, strange kind of creativity.—
Webb Wright,
Wired News,
24 Aug. 2025
-
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
Adjective
-
Wednesday confronts Bianca, who is bewildered about her Siren-song not sticking; Wednesday is taking control of things now and Bianca needs to trust her.—
Jessica M. Goldstein,
Vulture,
3 Sep. 2025
-
Layered in cream, bruised, bewildered, bald.—
Anna Cafolla,
Vogue,
30 Aug. 2025
Verb
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The comment sections of each video documenting the saga was flooded with people baffled by how the pair ended up in the situation.—
Latoya Gayle,
PEOPLE,
9 Sep. 2025
-
Willis, a seven-time Pro Bowl linebacker who starred for the San Francisco 49ers, was baffled by Jerry Jones sending Parsons to Green Bay.—
Scott Thompson,
FOXNews.com,
3 Sep. 2025
Verb
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The bad weather may have been a better option for the Dolphins as they were embarrassed by the Colts, with a final score of 30-8.—
Andrew Wright,
MSNBC Newsweek,
7 Sep. 2025
-
Getty Images The President fired the nation’s top labor statistician because the jobs numbers embarrassed him.—
Teresa Ghilarducci,
Forbes.com,
1 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
The office had been working with elderly, low-income and disabled people to see what most confused them about SSA processes and what would most help them if these were redesigned.—
Eli Hager,
ProPublica,
8 Sep. 2025
-
Forgive some Colorado Avalanche fans if they’re confused by the lack of noise as training camp beckons.—
Corey Masisak,
Denver Post,
6 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Other organizations and scientists have refuted the DOE’s review, including the American Meteorological Society, which highlighted further flaws in the report and urged a correction of the findings by the agency.—
Connor Greene,
Time,
2 Sep. 2025
-
Both Kraft and Goodell have refuted the claim.—
Michael McCann,
Sportico.com,
2 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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Some accredited investors have 'no freaking clue' Even investors who already qualify as accredited could welcome, and benefit from, such a test, experts say.—
Stephanie Dhue,
CNBC,
22 Aug. 2025
-
Well, my freaking agent had spoiled it.—
Brian Davids,
HollywoodReporter,
11 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Confounded.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/confounded. Accessed 11 Sep. 2025.
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