1
as in cursed
deserving of one's condemnation or displeasure
that confounded dog chewed up my shoe
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of confounded
Julia Poe, Chicago Tribune, 30 Jan. 2026
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
Salma El Wardany, Fortune, 28 Feb. 2026
Specifically, Archaeology News continues, that aquatic organisms living in hard water can absorb carbon, which contributed to the older dates, which confounded archaeologists for years.
—Maria Mocerino, Interesting Engineering, 21 Feb. 2026
The story has confounded investigators, at least as far as is publicly known.
—Bill Goodykoontz, AZCentral.com, 16 Feb. 2026
The administration’s apparent fixation on Denmark has confounded members of Congress, with lawmakers on both sides of the aisle questioning why HHS is modeling its policies after the Scandinavian country.
—Joseph Choi, The Hill, 12 Feb. 2026
Ecuador leading Australia on home courts in Quito, where the altitude and switch to clay from hard courts confounded James Duckworth and Rinky Hijikata against Alvaro Guillen Meza and Andres Andrade.
—James Hansen, New York Times, 9 Feb. 2026
Amid a wave of high-profile killings and political violence in the United States, investigators have been confounded regularly by the absence of a recognizable agenda.
—Peter Whoriskey, Washington Post, 8 Feb. 2026
But Goggin and other energy experts told CNN they have been confounded by the administration’s claims that electricity from coal is affordable.
—Ella Nilsen, CNN Money, 5 Feb. 2026
And no defense has confounded a stout Denver front this season like Los Angeles.
—Luca Evans, Denver Post, 7 Jan. 2026
Adjective
Dosunmu operated at times like a one-man wrecking crew, forcing his way downhill in the half court and cracking open the Heat’s confounded defense in the flow of transition.
—Julia Poe, Chicago Tribune, 30 Jan. 2026
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
Nonetheless, oil markets have confounded expectations so far in 2026.
—Salma El Wardany, Fortune, 28 Feb. 2026
Specifically, Archaeology News continues, that aquatic organisms living in hard water can absorb carbon, which contributed to the older dates, which confounded archaeologists for years.
—Maria Mocerino, Interesting Engineering, 21 Feb. 2026
The story has confounded investigators, at least as far as is publicly known.
—Bill Goodykoontz, AZCentral.com, 16 Feb. 2026
The administration’s apparent fixation on Denmark has confounded members of Congress, with lawmakers on both sides of the aisle questioning why HHS is modeling its policies after the Scandinavian country.
—Joseph Choi, The Hill, 12 Feb. 2026
Ecuador leading Australia on home courts in Quito, where the altitude and switch to clay from hard courts confounded James Duckworth and Rinky Hijikata against Alvaro Guillen Meza and Andres Andrade.
—James Hansen, New York Times, 9 Feb. 2026
Amid a wave of high-profile killings and political violence in the United States, investigators have been confounded regularly by the absence of a recognizable agenda.
—Peter Whoriskey, Washington Post, 8 Feb. 2026
But Goggin and other energy experts told CNN they have been confounded by the administration’s claims that electricity from coal is affordable.
—Ella Nilsen, CNN Money, 5 Feb. 2026
And no defense has confounded a stout Denver front this season like Los Angeles.
—Luca Evans, Denver Post, 7 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for confounded
Adjective
-
Every Brilliant Thing, by the way, stars Daniel Radcliffe, filmdom’s not-so-cursed Harry Potter himself.—
Greg Evans,
Deadline,
23 Feb. 2026
-
There, the former Dodgers star again grunted (and cursed) loudly a few times while impressing onlookers with his command and movement.—
Kevin Acee,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
22 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
But much like with the Belichick snub, NFL fans were as perplexed about Kraft being left off the ballot as well.—
Ryan Gaydos,
FOXNews.com,
3 Feb. 2026
-
The five-time major champion remains perplexed by the poa annua greens and settled for a 68 on the easier North to make the cut on the number.—
Dallas Morning News,
Dallas Morning News,
30 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
Olivier tried successfully to get the reader to understand how a gentle, pacific young man could come to kill more than a thousand people, and so capturing the tone and empathetic portrayal not only of Simo Häyhä and his colleagues but also of the often-bewildered Russian soldiers was essential.—
Erik Pedersen,
Oc Register,
30 Jan. 2026
-
The usually positive Gauff went negative, lacked energy and seemed bewildered and overwhelmed.—
Merlisa Lawrence Corbett,
Forbes.com,
27 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Despite reading Whitney’s letter at least twice, Henry — a narcissist — seems baffled that Whitney is not more contrite.—
Amanda Whiting,
Vulture,
23 Feb. 2026
-
Yet Howe, his coaches and recruitment staff were baffled by such early criticism.—
Anantaajith Raghuraman,
New York Times,
13 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
The team embarrassed Canada, 5-0, in the preliminary round, and swept the North American neighbor in four straight Olympic tune-ups.—
Sean Gregory,
Time,
20 Feb. 2026
-
The case has deeply embarrassed the royal family, especially his mother, who suffers from an incurable lung illness and who is torn between her role as mother and future queen.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
18 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
After Survivor 50 aired its premiere episode on Wednesday, fans were confused when no official podcast from Jeff Probst appeared in their feeds.—
Staff Author,
Entertainment Weekly,
28 Feb. 2026
-
Newer plates have a slash through zeros, which could cause them to be confused with the number eight.—
Chilekasi Adele,
CBS News,
26 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Reportedly, Jets owner Woody Johnson is forcing Glenn to call plays, but the organization has refuted those reports.—
Antwan Staley,
New York Daily News,
23 Feb. 2026
-
But Judge Tharp refuted that claim, indulging in a few other jokes in his ruling.—
Jake Angelo,
Fortune,
18 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
Pair the fuzzy crewneck top and subtle kick-flare pants with chic platform sneakers or breathable, on-trend Mary Janes (this pair from Rothy’s is so freaking comfortable).—
Annie Blackman,
InStyle,
21 Feb. 2026
-
For context, a McLaren 765LT supercar only beats that by two feet, and that has a freaking air brake.—
Andrew P. Collins,
The Drive,
19 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Confounded.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/confounded. Accessed 4 Mar. 2026.
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