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
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Recent Examples of confused
Chip Bell, Forbes.com, 15 May 2026
Many people are confused because they’ve been placed in a new district.
—Eleanor Dearman, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 14 May 2026
Thomas Andersen, Rolling Stone, 14 May 2026
The Phyllis Schlafly of today is the writer Helen Andrews, with whom I am sometimes confused by liberals with Helen blindness.
—Helen Lewis, The Atlantic, 14 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for confused
Adjective
Ambiguity clouds the conversation and risks leaving your protégé more confused than enlightened.
—Chip Bell, Forbes.com, 15 May 2026
Many people are confused because they’ve been placed in a new district.
—Eleanor Dearman, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 14 May 2026
Verb
In a sector that has often confused growth with asset heaviness, that is a major strategic advantage.
—Thomas Andersen, Rolling Stone, 14 May 2026
The Phyllis Schlafly of today is the writer Helen Andrews, with whom I am sometimes confused by liberals with Helen blindness.
—Helen Lewis, The Atlantic, 14 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for confused
Recent Examples of Synonyms for confused
Adjective
-
But even chips are absent from the formal agenda because the politics are too messy.—
Liz Hoffman,
semafor.com,
14 May 2026
-
Just to make things even messier and more over-plotted, Sylvie notices a light on for five days straight in an upper-floor apartment, reporting to the cops her concern that the old man who lives there might have died.—
David Rooney,
HollywoodReporter,
14 May 2026
Adjective
-
Everyone was so relieved to see how bewildered everyone else was that the feeling in this place was almost festive.—
James Wood,
New Yorker,
4 May 2026
-
Numerous cryptocurrency novices become bewildered by intricate decals and fluctuating percentages.—
Malana VanTyler,
Miami Herald,
29 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Three cases were reported earlier this week, long after the typical growing season for the mushrooms behind the illnesses, leaving public health officials and mycologists puzzled about why the poisonings have been so widespread and what is causing the trend.—
Evan Bush,
NBC news,
15 May 2026
-
But China has spent more than a year building strategic stockpiles, a move that puzzled many observers at the time and has now paid off.—
Amena Bakr,
semafor.com,
14 May 2026
Verb
-
And this year, the US-Israeli war with Iran further complicated the Fed’s efforts to assess the economy.—
Bryan Mena,
CNN Money,
17 May 2026
-
The situation has been complicated by international tensions amid the Iran war.—
Kinsey Crowley,
USA Today,
17 May 2026
Verb
-
The report also highlights a February 2025 inmate death from a gang beating that raised serious concerns about whether the victim was unnecessarily exposed to risk by attackers who mistook him for a rival.—
Robert Salonga,
Mercury News,
18 May 2026
-
In an interview with the Times of London, Burke recalled when Day-Lewis apparently mistook the ghost for his own father.—
Mike Barnes,
HollywoodReporter,
18 May 2026
Verb
-
The Sixers were embarrassed by the Knicks 144-114 in Game 4 in front of a New York-heavy crowd in South Philadelphia.—
Tom Dougherty,
CBS News,
12 May 2026
-
That this series has flipped on its head seemed almost impossible last Sunday, when the Celtics embarrassed Philadelphia in a Game 4 win on the Sixers’ home floor.—
Tobias Bass,
New York Times,
1 May 2026
Verb
-
The shopping area’s management said the takeovers disrupted operations and negatively impacted businesses.—
Charlotte Observer,
Charlotte Observer,
19 May 2026
-
Iranian drone attacks on data centers disrupted Amazon Web Services in the region and stuck Amazon with months of repairs while forcing another data center developer to pause Middle East projects.—
Jeremy Hsu,
ArsTechnica,
19 May 2026
Adjective
-
Summa’s 1982 snapshot of a stage diver at a Circle Jerks concert in Reseda is among the best examples of punk’s live and chaotic energy.—
Siran Babayan,
Los Angeles Times,
18 May 2026
-
Instead, Tuesday‘s finale is shaping up to be one of the state’s most chaotic primary elections in decades.—
Greg Bluestein,
AJC.com,
18 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Confused.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/confused. Accessed 21 May. 2026.
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