1
as in messy
lacking in order, neatness, and often cleanliness
the cans were lying in a confused jumble in the basement
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in bewildered
suffering from mental confusion
she was briefly confused after her fall from the horse
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in puzzled
to throw into a state of mental uncertainty
the similar-sounding words "censure" and "censor" often confuse people
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in complicated
to make (something) unclear to the understanding
stop confusing the issue with irrelevant facts
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in mistook
to fail to differentiate (a thing) from something similar or related
a lot of people confuse popular fame with enduring achievement
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in embarrassed
to throw into a state of self-conscious distress
she was confused by the shocking bluntness of his marriage proposal
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
5
as in disrupted
to undo the proper order or arrangement of
vandals had hopelessly confused the papers in the office files
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of confused
Amanda Whiting, Vulture, 5 Nov. 2025
After its emergency stop in Huntingdon, a market town around 120 kilometers (75 miles) north of London, bloodied and confused passengers spilled out of the train.
—NPR, 2 Nov. 2025
Diane Brady, Fortune, 5 Nov. 2025
And got confused, Rowan remembered.
—Luca Evans, Denver Post, 5 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for confused
Adjective
Marty works his connections to learn that Frank won’t be charged for Arthur’s murder — the official verdict is that accidents happen when confused old men own guns.
—Amanda Whiting, Vulture, 5 Nov. 2025
After its emergency stop in Huntingdon, a market town around 120 kilometers (75 miles) north of London, bloodied and confused passengers spilled out of the train.
—NPR, 2 Nov. 2025
Verb
Customers were confused over SNAP benefits that remain in limbo amid the government shutdown, the teller explained.
—Diane Brady, Fortune, 5 Nov. 2025
And got confused, Rowan remembered.
—Luca Evans, Denver Post, 5 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for confused
Recent Examples of Synonyms for confused
Adjective
-
But a big, beautiful, and sometimes messy public square that belongs to us all.—
Yolanda Watson Spiva,
Fortune,
8 Nov. 2025
-
The best heroes are beloved because their choices — admirable, messy, or otherwise — are hard ones made in service of something greater.—
Christopher Cruz,
Rolling Stone,
7 Nov. 2025
Adjective
-
Snook and Lacy, who display such sharp instincts in their best work, seem to have been directed to overact; cameras freeze on their exaggeratedly bewildered or angry or devastated expressions, putting exclamation points at the end of too many scenes.—
Judy Berman,
Time,
6 Nov. 2025
-
Instead, a bewildered stranger answers the door.—
Ben Travers,
IndieWire,
6 Nov. 2025
Verb
-
Her mysterious symptoms puzzled doctors, at least one of whom suggested the pain was psychosomatic.—
Sophie Dodd,
PEOPLE,
9 Nov. 2025
-
Some younger viewers may have been initially puzzled by the mashup, but fans of a certain age, or of a certain show-tune leaning, got it from the very first bar, or might have even dared to anticipate it when Erivo and Grande sat down on stools, side by side.—
Chris Willman,
Variety,
7 Nov. 2025
Verb
-
Nonetheless, the book has complicated historians' efforts to understand the truth of what really happened during this pivotal moment in the history of science.—
Nell Greenfieldboyce,
NPR,
7 Nov. 2025
-
This has given the conflict a religious coloration, and political elites have also chosen to politicize the conflict to negotiate power and other interests, which has complicated the problem.—
Tom O'Connor,
MSNBC Newsweek,
6 Nov. 2025
Verb
-
Police drew guns on a student outside a Baltimore County high school after an artificial intelligence system mistook his snack for a firearm.—
Aamir Khollam,
Interesting Engineering,
24 Oct. 2025
-
The woman mistook him for an Uber driver and got in his car, according to deputies.—
Julia Marnin,
Miami Herald,
19 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
French authorities have arrested several suspects after a frantic manhunt for the men who staged a spectacular daytime heist at the Louvre museum that gripped the world and embarrassed the government in Paris.—
Jason Ma,
Fortune,
26 Oct. 2025
-
The Revolution provided a brief scare through a 59th-minute goal from Dor Turgeman, who embarrassed a defender before curling home a spectacular effort, but Inter Miami broke the tie almost immediately after the strike that made the score 2-1.—
Franco Panizo,
Miami Herald,
5 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
The shutdown has disrupted federal operations, delayed pay for hundreds of thousands of workers, and put critical programs at risk.—
Deputy News Editor,
MSNBC Newsweek,
11 Nov. 2025
-
If the shutdown has not been resolved at the end of this week, there is a big risk Thanksgiving travel could be disrupted, said Henry Harteveldt, president of Atmosphere Research Group.—
Alexandra Skores,
CNN Money,
11 Nov. 2025
Adjective
-
Paul’s chaotic yet candid nature quickly uplifted her to reality TV icon status, so much so that ABC named her their next star of The Bachelorette.—
McKinley Franklin,
HollywoodReporter,
7 Nov. 2025
-
Dispatch recordings from firefighters who were first on the scene at Miami Heat Coach Erik Spoelstra’s home early Thursday reveal a chaotic and fast-moving fire that left crews scrambling to find water and to contain the spreading flames.—
Milena Malaver,
Miami Herald,
7 Nov. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Confused.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/confused. Accessed 27 Nov. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share