as in perplexing
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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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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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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of confounding
Rebecca Alter, Vulture, 5 Feb. 2026
The Eagles were a confounding defending champion throughout the regular season.
—Jeff Howe, New York Times, 5 Jan. 2026
Tuesday will go down as one of Boston’s most confounding losses of the season, a 4-3 defeat in 11 innings to the Baltimore Orioles in which the club went 0 for 13 with runners in scoring position.
—Mac Cerullo, Boston Herald, 22 Aug. 2025
Ryan Brennan, Charlotte Observer, 20 Mar. 2026
The confounding results appear to be mostly due to the state’s left-leaning electorate feeling uninspired by any single candidate in the crowded field of eight top Democrats.
—Seema Mehta, Los Angeles Times, 18 Mar. 2026
Along with the improvement in defense, UCLA’s three-guard starting lineup is confounding defenses.
—Aaron Heisen, Daily News, 15 Mar. 2026
As was the overall result for a confounding team (23-10) that essentially has been equal parts exhilarating and exasperating.
—Kansas City Star, 14 Mar. 2026
These, too, have been confounding to the point of nonsensical.
—Susan B. Glasser, New Yorker, 12 Mar. 2026
Facing a lineup of Chicago White Sox minor leaguers who spent most of their time at Double A a year ago provided a respite of sorts in a confounding spring.
—Fabian Ardaya, New York Times, 11 Mar. 2026
Rather than stake out any specific stances, Eddington convincingly depicts the confounding environment that its characters—and many of its audience members—are forced to interpret.
—Jake Pitre, The Atlantic, 7 Mar. 2026
Also confounding was a revelation from comedian Tom Davis, who worked with Chalamet on the 2023 film Wonka.
—Alessandra De Tommasi, Vanity Fair, 7 Mar. 2026
Adjective
In 2021, one year into D’Amaro’s tenure and following COVID shutdowns, Disney did away with FastPass and introduced a confounding and very costly series of pay-to-skip passes, which require timing advanced booking of limited slots in these formerly free-to-enter shorter lines.
—Rebecca Alter, Vulture, 5 Feb. 2026
The Eagles were a confounding defending champion throughout the regular season.
—Jeff Howe, New York Times, 5 Jan. 2026
Tuesday will go down as one of Boston’s most confounding losses of the season, a 4-3 defeat in 11 innings to the Baltimore Orioles in which the club went 0 for 13 with runners in scoring position.
—Mac Cerullo, Boston Herald, 22 Aug. 2025
Verb
That assumption has now been upended by a study of one of nature’s most confounding creatures, and the findings raise questions that researchers are only beginning to answer.
—Ryan Brennan, Charlotte Observer, 20 Mar. 2026
The confounding results appear to be mostly due to the state’s left-leaning electorate feeling uninspired by any single candidate in the crowded field of eight top Democrats.
—Seema Mehta, Los Angeles Times, 18 Mar. 2026
Along with the improvement in defense, UCLA’s three-guard starting lineup is confounding defenses.
—Aaron Heisen, Daily News, 15 Mar. 2026
As was the overall result for a confounding team (23-10) that essentially has been equal parts exhilarating and exasperating.
—Kansas City Star, 14 Mar. 2026
These, too, have been confounding to the point of nonsensical.
—Susan B. Glasser, New Yorker, 12 Mar. 2026
Facing a lineup of Chicago White Sox minor leaguers who spent most of their time at Double A a year ago provided a respite of sorts in a confounding spring.
—Fabian Ardaya, New York Times, 11 Mar. 2026
Rather than stake out any specific stances, Eddington convincingly depicts the confounding environment that its characters—and many of its audience members—are forced to interpret.
—Jake Pitre, The Atlantic, 7 Mar. 2026
Also confounding was a revelation from comedian Tom Davis, who worked with Chalamet on the 2023 film Wonka.
—Alessandra De Tommasi, Vanity Fair, 7 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for confounding
Adjective
-
The judging is vexing and perplexing.—
Rebecca Alter,
Vulture,
28 Mar. 2026
-
Radziwill’s absence has been somewhat perplexing.—
Elizabeth Logan,
Glamour,
19 Mar. 2026
Verb
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The steel pipe's unexpected growth spurt was reported to police early Wednesday by a pedestrian who saw broken pieces of asphalt falling from the cylinder, baffling people passing by and causing traffic congestion.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
12 Mar. 2026
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Though still fuming from his team’s baffling loss to the Bulls – the Warriors squandered an eight-point lead with 91 seconds remaining – Kerr found his composure long enough to crack a joke.—
Joseph Dycus,
Mercury News,
11 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Harbaugh has taken a blow torch to the Giants’ embarrassing special teams unit.—
Pat Leonard,
New York Daily News,
25 Mar. 2026
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Fairchild played the free-wheeling bon vivant Nora Tyler Bing on five episodes of the sitcom classic, unwittingly embarrassing Perry's Chandler Bing to the delight of his pals.—
Ryan Coleman,
Entertainment Weekly,
16 Feb. 2026
Verb
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This device is a high-tech centrifuge that simulates microgravity by spinning vials with samples around two axes, effectively confusing the cells inside as to their position in space.—
Tereza Pultarova,
Space.com,
27 Mar. 2026
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During the Second World War, the Allies put a special effort into confusing the Axis powers.—
David Szondy
March 25,
New Atlas,
25 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Late in the evening, the sheriff's office posted that no injuries or deaths had been reported from the storm, refuting social media rumors.—
Dinah Voyles Pulver,
USA TODAY,
11 Mar. 2026
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But the company is refuting the claims.—
Nicole Fallert,
USA Today,
16 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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More puzzling, critics said, has been the union’s response to other farmworker advocates.—
Marcos Breton,
Sacbee.com,
24 Mar. 2026
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On the flip side, Orlando has been a puzzling disappointment, a team — just like the Heat — that has followed a seven-game winning streak with an ongoing five-game losing streak.—
Barry Jackson,
Miami Herald,
24 Mar. 2026
Verb
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There aren’t many ways to earn a club’s first win better than bewildering the league’s defending champions at their place.—
Braidon Nourse,
Denver Post,
26 Mar. 2026
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McNutt housed some 700 kids — about one-third of the population of French Lick — and Bird found the campus outside the dormitory walls bewildering.—
Keith O'Brien,
Rolling Stone,
22 Feb. 2026
Verb
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There’s a lot of disconcerting news about AI in journalism lately.—
Theresa Gaffney,
STAT,
5 Mar. 2026
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The news is disconcerting for nearby residents like Moody.—
Olivia Young,
CBS News,
27 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Confounding.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/confounding. Accessed 31 Mar. 2026.
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