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
Raven Brunner, PEOPLE, 29 Sep. 2025
And then there are the parents of the dead boy James, Joan (Victoria Clark) and David (Sam Robards), grieving, angry and perhaps most of all confused.
—Greg Evans, Deadline, 29 Sep. 2025
Michael Saponara, Billboard, 2 Oct. 2025
Fortunately, Safdie had a little bit of leeway with Blunt, who had long admired his work and was more tickled than confused by the question.
—Kate Erbland, IndieWire, 1 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for confused
Adjective
Scared, confused, adrenaline rushing.
—Raven Brunner, PEOPLE, 29 Sep. 2025
And then there are the parents of the dead boy James, Joan (Victoria Clark) and David (Sam Robards), grieving, angry and perhaps most of all confused.
—Greg Evans, Deadline, 29 Sep. 2025
Verb
Our parents were confused; this is for them.
—Michael Saponara, Billboard, 2 Oct. 2025
Fortunately, Safdie had a little bit of leeway with Blunt, who had long admired his work and was more tickled than confused by the question.
—Kate Erbland, IndieWire, 1 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for confused
Recent Examples of Synonyms for confused
Adjective
-
Between the messy decline of solar cycle 25 and the possibility of a dramatic last gasp, aurora hunters may still have their best nights ahead.—
Daisy Dobrijevic,
Space.com,
3 Oct. 2025
-
Ceiling Fixtures Most people don't climb up a ladder to dust ceiling fixtures, so this is going to be a messy job.—
Brandee Gruener,
Southern Living,
3 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
As Friday’s stabbing incident involving NFL alum Mark Sanchez slowly comes into focus, the team at Fox Sports seems to be just as bewildered as the rest of us.—
Glenn Garner,
Deadline,
5 Oct. 2025
-
Hair disheveled, a dazed and bewildered look in his eyes, the coach trudged into his own dressing room to regroup and get a rundown of a growing list of injuries.—
Mike Jones,
New York Times,
29 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
The supermodel and businesswoman, 51, has puzzled followers with frenzied TikToks about her dreams to serve Hot Ice Cream at her Australian ice cream shop, SMiZE and Dream.—
Sabrina Weiss,
PEOPLE,
7 Oct. 2025
-
Reports surfaced claiming that WWE was puzzled by such a low grade, followed by rumors that the company pushed to have Hale fired from his position at ESPN.—
Fernando Quiles Jr,
MSNBC Newsweek,
30 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
While tackling global challenges is complicated, what individuals can do is relatively straightforward, like reducing meat consumption without eliminating it altogether.—
Dave Smith,
Fortune,
3 Oct. 2025
-
According to Young, the offer was complicated by the fact that Carey is only four years older than Eminem.—
Amber Corrine,
VIBE.com,
3 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
According to Fox 35, deputies mistook Vasquez for their suspect due to a one-letter difference in the spelling of their last names.—
Latoya Gayle,
PEOPLE,
29 Sep. 2025
-
The children were accidentally napalmed by South Vietnamese pilots who mistook a group of fleeing villagers for Viet Cong.—
Louis Menand,
New Yorker,
27 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
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
-
Me, a beautiful and clever five-time Emmy-winning writer with a few Wednesday nights free, and The Golden Bachelor, a heartwarming and adorable exploration of women’s second acts with a male doofus at the center who has already embarrassed himself.—
Ali Barthwell,
Vulture,
25 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
The rise of streaming and shifting business models have disrupted the rhythms on which many of us built stable careers, and production has become increasingly global and complex.—
Katie Kilkenny,
HollywoodReporter,
7 Oct. 2025
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On one hand, companies like Upwork and Fiverr have suffered as generative AI has disrupted simple contract jobs like copyediting and translation.—
Diane Brady,
Fortune,
6 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
But, true to the chaotic and improvisational nature of his medium, the screening was delayed by about 25 minutes as Speed wrapped things up and attendees were corralled to their seats with buckets of kettle corn and hard Topo Chicos.—
Miles Klee,
Rolling Stone,
5 Oct. 2025
-
Some have turned chaotic, with protesters clashing with authorities.—
Louis Casiano,
FOXNews.com,
4 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Confused.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/confused. Accessed 8 Oct. 2025.
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