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
Matt Nighswander,
NBC news,
18 June 2026
Others may find an AI voice cold or annoying, especially if the system gets confused.
—
Kurt Knutsson,
FOXNews.com,
18 June 2026
Literary Hub,
16 June 2026
Some women who filed lawsuits against Ortega reported they had been confused about whether demeaning or uncomfortable actions the doctor engaged in during exams was within the bounds of necessary medical behavior.
—
Emily Hoerner,
Chicago Tribune,
12 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for confused
Adjective
Those who aren't as familiar with Knicks lore are probably confused about why everyone keeps talking about Villanova, a university outside Philadelphia, in relation to the team's NBA championship.
—
Matt Nighswander,
NBC news,
18 June 2026
Others may find an AI voice cold or annoying, especially if the system gets confused.
—
Kurt Knutsson,
FOXNews.com,
18 June 2026
Verb
Repetition is so easily confused with stasis—with inertia.
—
Literary Hub,
16 June 2026
Some women who filed lawsuits against Ortega reported they had been confused about whether demeaning or uncomfortable actions the doctor engaged in during exams was within the bounds of necessary medical behavior.
—
Emily Hoerner,
Chicago Tribune,
12 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for confused
Recent Examples of Synonyms for confused
Adjective
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Interviews for the statewide candidates are done now via questions from the entire convention, a potentially messier proposition.
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More vehicles on the road means more potential for complex, multi-vehicle collisions and messier disputes over who caused what.
Adjective
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At the risk of sounding less like a columnist and more like a bewildered bystander … what the heck happened?
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Urged by a call from Hugo to destroy her phone and flee Kansas City fast, before WARDEX can get to her, Margaret also hits the road, accompanied initially by a bewildered Jackson.
Verb
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County officials said they are puzzled by the cost increase in the face of falling ridership for Access Lynx, which provides door-to-door transportation for disabled and low-income riders countywide.
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But after feeding the information into a computer model, the team was puzzled.
Verb
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But eating well doesn’t have to be complicated.
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Trump previously planned to hold a Cabinet meeting at Camp David in May but canceled plans because of poor weather that would have complicated the helicopter flight to the retreat.
Verb
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While walking alongside his teammates, Kolek, 25, was briefly stopped by police, who seemingly mistook him for a fan.
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Canons of literature were curated by gatekeepers who mistook their vantage point for universality.
Verb
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The case has generated intense international attention because of Hoiby's connection to the royal family, who have been embarrassed by it.
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But Americans don’t want to see the home team embarrassed.
Verb
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Meanwhile, its medium-range drones have also disrupted Russia’s supply lines to the front, and its long-range strikes have increasingly damaged Russian oil facilities that provide vital revenue for the Kremlin’s war effort.
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Record heat has disrupted schools and transportation networks and forced some tourist attractions, including the Eiffel Tower, to close.
Adjective
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By building circuits whose states naturally fluctuate with this environmental heat, thermodynamic computing turns an otherwise stochastic and chaotic feature of nature into an incredibly fast, ultra-low-energy calculator.
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The combat that follows is intimate, chaotic, and bloody.
Cite this Entry
“Confused.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/confused. Accessed 28 Jun. 2026.
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