1
as in confuses
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 embarrasses
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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3
as in conflates
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 refutes
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 confounds
Onto center stage steps a figure who confounds expectations.
—
Molly Fischer, New Yorker, 1 Jan. 2026
Since their vision is not pixel-precise, using web interfaces—which are dynamic, designed for humans, and often include captchas and other anti-bot measures—confounds them.
—Tharin Pillay, Time, 4 Nov. 2025
Again, all of this confounds traditional attempts at sense making.
—Charlie Warzel, The Atlantic, 4 Sep. 2025
Molly Fischer, New Yorker, 1 Jan. 2026
Since their vision is not pixel-precise, using web interfaces—which are dynamic, designed for humans, and often include captchas and other anti-bot measures—confounds them.
—Tharin Pillay, Time, 4 Nov. 2025
Again, all of this confounds traditional attempts at sense making.
—Charlie Warzel, The Atlantic, 4 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for confounds
Verb
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No one confuses kilowatt-hours with productivity, yet no serious economy flies blind without tracking them.—
Noosheen Hashemi,
Time,
26 Jan. 2026
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Where the Roma obscured the line between a classic grand tourer and a sports car with supercar tendencies, the Amalfi confuses things further.—
Jonny Lieberman,
Robb Report,
17 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Maia and her boyfriend Dylan (Josh Hustcherson) are on the outs after Maia completely embarrasses herself at Dylan’s game night with his co-workers.—
Katie Campione,
Deadline,
21 Dec. 2025
-
There, the father of the bride gets too drunk and embarrasses himself.—
Randall Colburn,
Entertainment Weekly,
1 Dec. 2025
Verb
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The clear video evidence starkly refutes the party line.—
Letters to the Editor,
The Orlando Sentinel,
27 Jan. 2026
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That statement alone refutes claims that IHRA is meant to silence debate.—
David Moore,
New York Daily News,
11 Jan. 2026
Verb
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But the unknown in that equation is what perplexes the Mavericks and has the team stuck for now.—
Tim Cowlishaw,
Dallas Morning News,
1 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Similarly, the video Som da Maloka, 2024, by Raphael Escobar overturns negative stereotypes about the shelterless men of color living in Cracolândia, a highly impoverished and heavily policed area of downtown São Paulo ravaged by crack cocaine and other drugs.—
Michaëla de Lacaze Mohrmann,
Artforum,
1 Jan. 2026
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Bell toe-taps to get into the end zone on the third-down pass, and replay overturns the initial incomplete call.—
Thomas Jones,
Austin American Statesman,
31 Dec. 2025
Verb
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Nandi is experiencing severe insomnia, tremors and psychosis, and her quickly deteriorating condition bewilders the emergency room staff.—
Sandee LaMotte,
CNN Money,
21 Oct. 2025
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The designs were puckish and gender-bending, evoking both awe and repulsion—the sort of clothing that titillates lovers of conceptual fashion and bewilders the uninitiated.—
Ana Karina Zatarain,
New Yorker,
19 Sep. 2025
Verb
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People don’t think this bothers me.—
Safiyah Riddle,
Fortune,
26 Jan. 2026
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At one point, Bryan Freedman, an attorney for Baldoni and the Wayfarer Studios defendants, asked Lively if negative publicity bothers her.—
Benjamin VanHoose,
PEOPLE,
21 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Place baffles at the eaves to maintain a clear path for the airflow from the soffit vents.—
Sarah Moore,
Freep.com,
12 Dec. 2025
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Given his extensive wilderness experience, Pachak’s disappearance baffles those closest to him.—
Madison Dapcevich,
Outside,
5 Dec. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Confounds.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/confounds. Accessed 1 Feb. 2026.
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