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
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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
Maggie Fremont, Vulture, 30 Jan. 2026
O’Hara explained that she was confused when the doctor tried using two different EKG machines and then ordered a chest x-ray.
—Vanessa Etienne, PEOPLE, 30 Jan. 2026
Ira Winderman, Sun Sentinel, 23 Jan. 2026
Parents may have also confused the vitamin injection with a vaccine.
—Dr. Jade Cobern, ABC News, 23 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for confused
Adjective
Jackson’s sister Jada arrives and is deeply confused when Javadi explains how her brother was brought in.
—Maggie Fremont, Vulture, 30 Jan. 2026
O’Hara explained that she was confused when the doctor tried using two different EKG machines and then ordered a chest x-ray.
—Vanessa Etienne, PEOPLE, 30 Jan. 2026
Verb
The trip started after Spoelstra moved Ware to the bench and then called out Ware’s lack of consistency, comments that confused Ware and then were clarified by Spoelstra.
—Ira Winderman, Sun Sentinel, 23 Jan. 2026
Parents may have also confused the vitamin injection with a vaccine.
—Dr. Jade Cobern, ABC News, 23 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for confused
Recent Examples of Synonyms for confused
Adjective
-
In this case, that ball happens to be the complex that serves as the symbolic seat of the nation’s vibrant, messy, questioning, deeply political and hugely alive arts and culture scene.—
Jessica Gelt,
Los Angeles Times,
6 Feb. 2026
-
Scuffs and chips will show up quickly, requiring frequent touch-ups that can end up creating messy layers.—
Asia London Palomba,
The Spruce,
5 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
The usually positive Gauff went negative, lacked energy and seemed bewildered and overwhelmed.—
Merlisa Lawrence Corbett,
Forbes.com,
27 Jan. 2026
-
Since his starring days at Gonzaga, Timme has earned bewildered double takes.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
20 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
For decades, this has puzzled physicists and engineers alike.—
Tejasri Gururaj,
Interesting Engineering,
29 Jan. 2026
-
Juarez was overwhelmed and a bit puzzled by some of the responses.—
Jim Woods,
Chicago Tribune,
29 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Before the world complicated things with espresso machines, oat milk debates, and influencers lecturing to you about grind size, wild coffee trees were clinging to the Ethiopian highlands.—
John Noakes,
Hartford Courant,
31 Jan. 2026
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But the consistent message from some of the leading experts in the world is that your workout doesn't need to be complicated.—
Will Stone,
NPR,
31 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Three federal air marshals were chased out of a Lynwood restaurant after a crowd mistook them for immigration agents on Wednesday, according to the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department.—
Matthew Rodriguez,
CBS News,
29 Jan. 2026
-
Glaser said that during one babysitting gig, Adam Sandler called the Apatow house and mistook her voice for Maude Apatow.—
Wesley Stenzel,
Entertainment Weekly,
16 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Their votes sunk Belichick’s chances and embarrassed the Hall of Fame in the process.—
Rob Maaddi,
Twin Cities,
28 Jan. 2026
-
However, the Yankees' title drought reached 16 seasons after getting embarrassed by the Toronto Blue Jays in the American League Division Series, and calls for change were louder than ever.—
Ryan Morik,
FOXNews.com,
26 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Types of polar vortex events Meteorologists generally track two main ways the polar vortex behaves when it’s disrupted.—
Brandi D. Addison,
Cincinnati Enquirer,
3 Feb. 2026
-
For the operation, the team used a multi-node mesh network that could reroute data automatically through other available noted, if certain parts of the network were disrupted.—
Georgina Jedikovska,
Interesting Engineering,
3 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
While navigating Westport by car or on foot is chaotic right now, the goal is to prevent destruction in the future.—
Eleanor Nash,
Kansas City Star,
26 Jan. 2026
-
Lazy Susans and magnetic spice racks turn chaotic fridges and spice shelves into functional spaces.—
Melissa Epifano,
The Spruce,
26 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Confused.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/confused. Accessed 7 Feb. 2026.
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