as in perplexing
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in baffling
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 embarrassing
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 confusing
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 refuting
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 confounding
Steven Louis Goldstein, The Athletic, 24 Dec. 2024
Though none of that even scratches the surface of all the Jets’ confounding mental errors on Sunday.
—Zack Rosenblatt, The Athletic, 22 Dec. 2024
Are your former lovers dying in increasingly mysterious and confounding ways?
—Matt Minton, Variety, 20 Dec. 2024
Morris probed top executives for months about the rumor’s origins and received a confounding mix of finger-pointing and memory lapses, as detailed in a 1,100-page investigative case file reviewed by The Times.
—Alene Tchekmedyian, Los Angeles Times, 18 Dec. 2024
All the while, his body betrays him in novel and confounding ways.
—Longreads, 18 Dec. 2024
In the 15 years since, mysteries have continued to surround their deaths — as has speculation about their former home's possible role in the confounding story, from reports of otherworldly encounters to rumors that something else within the house may have played a part.
—Mackenzie Schmidt, People.com, 15 Dec. 2024
Mysterious drones have been showing up in the skies above New Jersey and other states for weeks, confounding residents and prompting lawmakers to call for more answers as to what exactly is going on.
—Rebecca Cohen, NBC News, 14 Dec. 2024
Also confounding—especially given the three-screen display split between TVs hanging from the ceiling in an arrangement that evokes a sort of ghostly sports bar.
—Andy Battaglia, ARTnews.com, 13 Dec. 2024
Verb
Brunson and Towns are confounding opposing defenses in two-man action, and this starting lineup can comfortably go five out to lengthen and distort the floor.
—Steven Louis Goldstein, The Athletic, 24 Dec. 2024
Though none of that even scratches the surface of all the Jets’ confounding mental errors on Sunday.
—Zack Rosenblatt, The Athletic, 22 Dec. 2024
Are your former lovers dying in increasingly mysterious and confounding ways?
—Matt Minton, Variety, 20 Dec. 2024
Morris probed top executives for months about the rumor’s origins and received a confounding mix of finger-pointing and memory lapses, as detailed in a 1,100-page investigative case file reviewed by The Times.
—Alene Tchekmedyian, Los Angeles Times, 18 Dec. 2024
All the while, his body betrays him in novel and confounding ways.
—Longreads, 18 Dec. 2024
In the 15 years since, mysteries have continued to surround their deaths — as has speculation about their former home's possible role in the confounding story, from reports of otherworldly encounters to rumors that something else within the house may have played a part.
—Mackenzie Schmidt, People.com, 15 Dec. 2024
Mysterious drones have been showing up in the skies above New Jersey and other states for weeks, confounding residents and prompting lawmakers to call for more answers as to what exactly is going on.
—Rebecca Cohen, NBC News, 14 Dec. 2024
Also confounding—especially given the three-screen display split between TVs hanging from the ceiling in an arrangement that evokes a sort of ghostly sports bar.
—Andy Battaglia, ARTnews.com, 13 Dec. 2024
Recent Examples of Synonyms for confounding
Adjective
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Even more perplexing: If shutting off service to new customers without an account is their strict policy, why wait until Friday to execute it?—
Ryan Minton,
Forbes.com,
15 May 2025
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Part of the reason structures like the Hercules–Corona Borealis Great Wall are so perplexing to scientists has to do with the cosmological principle, which most models of the cosmos are founded upon.—
Robert Lea,
Space.com,
20 Apr. 2025
Verb
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Hall ended up refuting his own hypothesis.—
Dhruv Khullar,
The New Yorker,
6 Jan. 2025
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Two people aim to jointly and with intensity deliberate with each other, testing each other, refuting each other at times, and otherwise pursuing an in-depth cross-examining dialogue.—
Lance Eliot,
Forbes,
4 Jan. 2025
Adjective
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There’s the energy and fight, which seems to have gone out of this team like an electric factory doused by a baffling power outage, and the frustration that there don’t seem to be any clear solutions, never mind quick fixes.—
Gabrielle Starr,
Boston Herald,
30 May 2025
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Here, the end of the world seems both baffling and boring.—
Emily McClanathan,
Chicago Tribune,
27 May 2025
Verb
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Researchers are particularly focused on unraveling the puzzling interplay between gas content, magma pressure and lava flow dynamics.—
Dan Perry,
Newsweek,
3 Jan. 2025
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Almost two years into his ordeal, Gould learned of an initiative at the National Institutes of Health that focuses on solving the country’s most puzzling medical cases.—
Jason Liebowitz,
The Atlantic,
2 Jan. 2025
Verb
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The Amalgamated Transit Union Local 265, which went on an historic two-and-a-half week strike in March after negotiations for a new contract broke down, had filed a petition with the Sixth District Court of Appeal on April 1, challenging the ruling of the Santa Clara County Superior Court.—
Caelyn Pender,
Mercury News,
13 Apr. 2025
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Today big tech is aggressively challenging long-standing legal protections in copyright law, in intellectual property, fair data practices and data privacy protections.—
Hessie Jones,
Forbes.com,
13 Apr. 2025
Verb
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The young actor has a disconcerting awareness of the roiling potential of his changing body.—
Doreen St. Félix,
The New Yorker,
22 Mar. 2025
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Even without Karl-Anthony Towns, Minnesota’s size remains disconcerting to the Nuggets, especially when Aaron Gordon is out.—
Bennett Durando,
The Denver Post,
13 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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All of which is just my way of explaining why fans, who love these stories, might be distraught and might see all the success Martin has had thanks to his unfinished work and the support of his fans, as frustrating.—
Erik Kain,
Forbes.com,
3 June 2025
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To help avoid these frustrating and disappointing situations, travelers should plan to bring along a healthy dose of skepticism on their next trip—and think twice before paying for any offer that sounds too good to be true.—
Jessica Puckett,
Travel + Leisure,
3 June 2025
Adjective
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In many ways, the deepfake issue appears increasingly Kafkaesque: a bewildering maze of shifting identities, elusive culprits, a tech bureaucracy sprawling beyond regulatory reach — and laws that are always lagging at least a few steps behind.—
Anisha Sircar,
Forbes.com,
30 May 2025
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And maybe David Bednar recaptures his old form and the Pittsburgh ‘pen proves as bewildering to opponents as the Tigers’ did down the stretch.—
Tim Britton,
The Athletic,
25 Mar. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Confounding.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/confounding. Accessed 10 Jun. 2025.
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