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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of confused
Madeline Bartos,
CBS News,
24 June 2026
Even human drivers get confused when a familiar ramp is suddenly blocked.
—
Kurt Knutsson,
FOXNews.com,
23 June 2026
Mya Abraham,
VIBE.com,
29 June 2026
Advertisement But the recent surge of new groups has confused CEOs, donors, and other key constituencies by pursuing often wildly divergent messages and contradictory agendas, inadvertently establishing circular firing squads, undermining unity, and siphoning resources from credible expert voices.
—
Jeffrey Sonnenfeld,
Time,
28 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for confused
Adjective
The shelter said Hennessy was terrified and confused and wouldn't let anyone comfort her.
—
Madeline Bartos,
CBS News,
24 June 2026
Even human drivers get confused when a familiar ramp is suddenly blocked.
—
Kurt Knutsson,
FOXNews.com,
23 June 2026
Verb
Many were confused by the lack of mainstream inclusion, with some reactions asking for his classics, but that’s what other tributes were for.
—
Mya Abraham,
VIBE.com,
29 June 2026
Advertisement But the recent surge of new groups has confused CEOs, donors, and other key constituencies by pursuing often wildly divergent messages and contradictory agendas, inadvertently establishing circular firing squads, undermining unity, and siphoning resources from credible expert voices.
—
Jeffrey Sonnenfeld,
Time,
28 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for confused
Recent Examples of Synonyms for confused
Adjective
-
Interviews for the statewide candidates are done now via questions from the entire convention, a potentially messier proposition.
-
More vehicles on the road means more potential for complex, multi-vehicle collisions and messier disputes over who caused what.
Adjective
-
Fido was fine, if a little bewildered, and in February 1973, the board lifted its book bans.
-
At the risk of sounding less like a columnist and more like a bewildered bystander … what the heck happened?
Verb
-
Pochettino seemed puzzled by the downcast tone of his post-match press conference.
-
Astronomers are puzzled that such a glaring inconsistency could have gone unnoticed in existing data, such as the Cosmic Microwave Background (CMB), which provides our earliest snapshot of the universe.
Verb
-
Robinson’s value is complicated, as the elite rim protector and offensive rebounder has a history of ankle surgeries, and he’s been played off of the court in the postseason due to his free-throw-shooting deficiencies.
-
Why Employees Still Struggle With Open Enrollment Benefits language is inherently complicated, and most employees aren't insurance experts.
Verb
-
While walking alongside his teammates, Kolek, 25, was briefly stopped by police, who seemingly mistook him for a fan.
-
Canons of literature were curated by gatekeepers who mistook their vantage point for universality.
Verb
-
The Chicago White Sox, a team many left for dead at the start of the year, embarrassed the Kansas City Royals Friday night, 22-1.
-
The case has generated intense international attention because of Hoiby's connection to the royal family, who have been embarrassed by it.
Verb
-
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.
-
Record heat has disrupted schools and transportation networks and forced some tourist attractions, including the Eiffel Tower, to close.
Adjective
-
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.
-
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 2 Jul. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
