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
Malana Vantyler, Sacbee.com, 15 Apr. 2026
Feeling a little confused, concerned, off-kilter, out of sorts?
—Rachel Treisman, NPR, 15 Apr. 2026
Kim Toscano, Southern Living, 16 Apr. 2026
The shift confused other lawmakers and policy experts worried about a de-emphasis on the project.
—Niken Sitoningrum, NPR, 16 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for confused
Adjective
As a result, many individuals go through life feeling incredibly confused, extremely insecure and always lacking a crucial piece of the jigsaw.
—Malana Vantyler, Sacbee.com, 15 Apr. 2026
Feeling a little confused, concerned, off-kilter, out of sorts?
—Rachel Treisman, NPR, 15 Apr. 2026
Verb
These small beetles are sometimes confused with ladybeetles (which feed on bean beetle eggs), thanks to their similar shape and black spots.
—Kim Toscano, Southern Living, 16 Apr. 2026
The shift confused other lawmakers and policy experts worried about a de-emphasis on the project.
—Niken Sitoningrum, NPR, 16 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for confused
Recent Examples of Synonyms for confused
Adjective
-
Wheatley isn’t a sudden-twitch mover and the tackling can get messy, but the size, awareness and ability to play deep, in the slot or around the box should keep him in the Day 2 conversation.—
Eddie Brown,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
17 Apr. 2026
-
A lot of the case seemed to come down to disorganization and messy paperwork.—
Emma Green,
New Yorker,
17 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Connie is bewildered but happy about this.—
Alice Burton,
Vulture,
20 Apr. 2026
-
This sometimes left audience members bewildered about what had actually happened.—
ArsTechnica,
ArsTechnica,
6 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
His award recognizes his contributions to settle several questions in differential geometry that had puzzled mathematicians since the 1970s and 1980s.—
Chase Hunter,
Mercury News,
19 Apr. 2026
-
The diminutive scale of Giacometti’s proposal—a nondescript bust atop a small square base—puzzled his colleagues.—
Ara H. Merjian,
ARTnews.com,
16 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
The relationship between Dallas police and Immigration and Customs Enforcement has long been complicated, drawing criticism from both state leaders and community advocates.—
Robbie Owens,
CBS News,
18 Apr. 2026
-
Gumbs’ senior year at Simeon was complicated by the COVID-19 pandemic.—
Sean Hammond,
Chicago Tribune,
16 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
About 90 minutes after the lockdown took effect, the Naval Academy’s deputy commandant emailed students, telling them that as law enforcement worked to secure the school, a midshipman mistook police for a threat and engaged them, according to the official.—
Meredith Colias-Pete,
Chicago Tribune,
9 Apr. 2026
-
Curtain calls In 1999, a male hippo in rut apparently mistook a passing tractor at a French zoo for a rival and smashed through his enclosure fencing.—
Scott Lafee,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
7 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
The transparency issue also became important after the board embarrassed itself by quietly boosting board members’ pay by 25% — with Foley being the only member opposed.—
The Editorial Board,
Oc Register,
16 Apr. 2026
-
And, as if embarrassed by the whole business, the show will do something crazy to blast the tear from your eye.—
Television Critic,
Los Angeles Times,
9 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Now, with missiles intercepted over Gulf capitals and air travel repeatedly disrupted, the long-standing stability of Dubai expat life is being questioned.—
Emma Graham,Sawdah Bhaimiya,
CNBC,
21 Apr. 2026
-
The case stems from the September 2024 fire at the BioLab facility, which sent a large plume of smoke into the air, forced more than 17,000 people to evacuate and about 90,000 others to shelter in place, and disrupted nearby businesses and neighborhoods.—
Jamal Goss,
CBS News,
21 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
But overall, humanoid robots still have a long way to go in demonstrating their capability to operate in complex and sometimes chaotic environments.—
Jeremy Hsu,
ArsTechnica,
20 Apr. 2026
-
In Silky Smooth, Liao explores the chaotic stages of adulthood, scheduling fun plans with tired friends, the unfair treatment of single people, being attracted to silly men, and the fear of being a role model to her pretend children.—
Matt Grobar,
Deadline,
20 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Confused.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/confused. Accessed 24 Apr. 2026.
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