confused 1 of 2

adjective

kən-ˈfyüzd How to pronounce confused (audio)
Definition of confusednext
1
as in messy
lacking in order, neatness, and often cleanliness the cans were lying in a confused jumble in the basement

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2
as in bewildered
suffering from mental confusion she was briefly confused after her fall from the horse

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confused

2 of 2

verb

past tense of confuse
1
as in puzzled
to throw into a state of mental uncertainty the similar-sounding words "censure" and "censor" often confuse people

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2
as in complicated
to make (something) unclear to the understanding stop confusing the issue with irrelevant facts

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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

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4
as in embarrassed
to throw into a state of self-conscious distress she was confused by the shocking bluntness of his marriage proposal

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5
as in disrupted
to undo the proper order or arrangement of vandals had hopelessly confused the papers in the office files

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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
Adjective
But people on the streets of Dorohusk seemed more confused about their options in case of a real attack. — ABC News, 27 Sep. 2026 Amid the legalese and partisan arguments surrounding such cases, American voters are both confused and concerned about the trustworthiness of the country’s election processes. — The Monitor's Editorial Board, Christian Science Monitor, 25 Sep. 2026
Verb
Customers are most commonly confused about product information, making in-store education a powerful converter, or how to choose the right shade of a makeup product, according to the survey. — Noor Lobad, Footwear News, 30 Sep. 2026 Motion vectors are used in graphics to describe how an object or pixel moves and in what direction (not to be confused with vector graphics). — Aman Kumar, Encyclopedia Britannica, 30 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for confused
Recent Examples of Synonyms for confused
  1. messy
  2. bewildered
  3. puzzled
  4. complicated
  5. mistook
  6. embarrassed
  7. disrupted
  8. chaotic
Adjective
  • Plus, merging everything into one pot can be messy; One partner may be paying off student loans while the other is debt-free with a pristine credit history.
    — Orianna Rosa Royle, Fortune, 8 Oct. 2026
  • The Bears have a messy QB situation but the defense has been mostly good.
    — Dan Zaksheske OutKick, FOXNews.com, 8 Oct. 2026
Definition of messy
Adjective
  • But Iñárritu’s caricatures become people in a way Kubrick’s don’t; as the bewildered President, for example, John Goodman is simultaneously grounded and theatrical in his presentation, recalling his best work with the Coen brothers.
    — Jim Hemphill, IndieWire, 30 Sep. 2026
  • Five o’clock Saturday, the Riverside Stadium and Middlesbrough head coach Kim Hellberg is fist-pumping a half-bewildered but fully enthused home crowd.
    — Michael Walker, New York Times, 15 Sep. 2026
Definition of bewildered
Verb
  • He was puzzled when, after 2021, the number of children going into foster care dropped, but the state's costs for child welfare were rising.
    — Joseph Shapiro, NPR, 30 Sep. 2026
  • The photo also showed two others associated with Kremlev, part of a larger group of Russians whose presence puzzled some attendees.
    — Alex Mierjeski, ProPublica, 19 Sep. 2026
Definition of puzzled
Verb
  • That not only put him at odds with public opinion, but complicated the lives of fellow Republicans eager to escape a backlash that's making a dire GOP election situation even worse.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 5 Oct. 2026
  • And the trade war with Canada has complicated the American seafood industry’s relationship with a country it has long been interconnected with, fishermen said.
    — Patrick Whittle, Fortune, 4 Oct. 2026
Definition of complicated
Verb
  • The agents mistook the man for the fugitive, the agent told police.
    — Cybele Mayes-Osterman, Los Angeles Times, 25 Sep. 2026
  • The incident comes about a year after a teenager died in rural Iowa, after he was shot by a fellow hunter who apparently mistook him for a squirrel.
    — Emily Mae Czachor, CBS News, 21 Sep. 2026
Definition of mistook
Verb
  • Over two games in Tampa, the Rays had embarrassed the Yankees – nearly no hitting them in Game 1 and putting the ball in play and watching the errors ensue in Game 2.
    — Hannah Keyser, CNN Money, 8 Oct. 2026
  • Philadelphia embarrassed itself in a non-competitive loss at Chicago on Monday night, unable to go drive-for-drive with journeyman quarterback Case Keenum, a 38-year-old backup’s backup.
    — Andy Behrens, New York Times, 2 Oct. 2026
Definition of embarrassed
Verb
  • Nearby, elite engineering school Mines Paris was also disrupted by blockades.
    — Makini Brice, Arkansas Online, 10 Oct. 2026
  • Gone are the four nations, corresponding to the elements, who coexisted in harmony that was disrupted and then, episode by episode, restored.
    — Alison Herman, Variety, 9 Oct. 2026
Definition of disrupted
Adjective
  • But the image that stays with me is of a meeting with Olga, climbing the winding stairs of our little building for a somewhat chaotic coffee in the festival’s office.
    — Rafa Sales Ross, Variety, 3 Oct. 2026
  • Explore See latest videos, charts and news Turnstile is the first hardcore band to appear on SNL since Fear’s famously chaotic performance back in 1981.
    — Lars Brandle, Billboard, 2 Oct. 2026
Definition of chaotic

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confused
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Cite this Entry

“Confused.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/confused. Accessed 10 Oct. 2026.

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