1
as in perplexes
to throw into a state of mental uncertainty
the similar-sounding words "censure" and "censor" often confuse people
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in complicates
to make (something) unclear to the understanding
stop confusing the issue with irrelevant facts
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in mistakes
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 embarrasses
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 disrupts
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 confuses
No one confuses kilowatt-hours with productivity, yet no serious economy flies blind without tracking them.
—
Noosheen Hashemi, Time, 26 Jan. 2026
Where the Roma obscured the line between a classic grand tourer and a sports car with supercar tendencies, the Amalfi confuses things further.
—Jonny Lieberman, Robb Report, 17 Jan. 2026
So everyone confuses literal with figurative; literally, who cares?
—Hillary Busis, Vanity Fair, 16 Jan. 2026
In professional sports, no one confuses being injury-free with being competition-ready.
—Karl Moore, Forbes.com, 16 Jan. 2026
Red Rising is a book that seems to confuses some politically right-leaning readers, something which frustrates but doesn’t surprise Abughazaleh.
—James Folta, Literary Hub, 19 Dec. 2025
Mars’ clash with Neptune clouds your judgment and confuses your intuition.
—Usa Today, USA Today, 14 Dec. 2025
Thankfully, this maneuver confuses the Demo long enough for Ted to walk into the house after noticing flickering lights.
—Maggie Fremont, Vulture, 27 Nov. 2025
On Monday, 30 autism and disability organizations said linking autism and vaccines confuses parents.
—Asuka Koda, CNN Money, 25 Nov. 2025
Noosheen Hashemi, Time, 26 Jan. 2026
Where the Roma obscured the line between a classic grand tourer and a sports car with supercar tendencies, the Amalfi confuses things further.
—Jonny Lieberman, Robb Report, 17 Jan. 2026
So everyone confuses literal with figurative; literally, who cares?
—Hillary Busis, Vanity Fair, 16 Jan. 2026
In professional sports, no one confuses being injury-free with being competition-ready.
—Karl Moore, Forbes.com, 16 Jan. 2026
Red Rising is a book that seems to confuses some politically right-leaning readers, something which frustrates but doesn’t surprise Abughazaleh.
—James Folta, Literary Hub, 19 Dec. 2025
Mars’ clash with Neptune clouds your judgment and confuses your intuition.
—Usa Today, USA Today, 14 Dec. 2025
Thankfully, this maneuver confuses the Demo long enough for Ted to walk into the house after noticing flickering lights.
—Maggie Fremont, Vulture, 27 Nov. 2025
On Monday, 30 autism and disability organizations said linking autism and vaccines confuses parents.
—Asuka Koda, CNN Money, 25 Nov. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for confuses
Verb
-
But the unknown in that equation is what perplexes the Mavericks and has the team stuck for now.—
Tim Cowlishaw,
Dallas Morning News,
1 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
But Daylight Saving Time complicates that.—
Juwayriah Wright,
Time,
17 Feb. 2026
-
Abbington plays Eve, a sharp-witted, slightly off-kilter actress whose obsession with the case pulls her into the investigative orbit and complicates the group dynamic.—
Emiliano de Pablos,
Variety,
16 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
In the end, Gail mistakes Paul for a burglar and sends a mob of angry neighbors after him.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
31 Jan. 2026
-
No one mistakes him for a devout Christian or a person of faith or morality.—
Hillary Rodham Clinton,
The Atlantic,
29 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Maia and her boyfriend Dylan (Josh Hustcherson) are on the outs after Maia completely embarrasses herself at Dylan’s game night with his co-workers.—
Katie Campione,
Deadline,
21 Dec. 2025
-
There, the father of the bride gets too drunk and embarrasses himself.—
Randall Colburn,
Entertainment Weekly,
1 Dec. 2025
Verb
-
Recent weather extremes in the South and East are examples of what global warming can cause — a warmer Arctic that disrupts the polar vortex and pushes cold weather and snow farther south.—
Chicago Tribune,
Chicago Tribune,
8 Feb. 2026
-
Bad Bunny disrupts this pattern by refusing separation between cultural celebration and political truth.—
Dr. Carlos A Torre,
Hartford Courant,
7 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Nandi is experiencing severe insomnia, tremors and psychosis, and her quickly deteriorating condition bewilders the emergency room staff.—
Sandee LaMotte,
CNN Money,
21 Oct. 2025
-
The designs were puckish and gender-bending, evoking both awe and repulsion—the sort of clothing that titillates lovers of conceptual fashion and bewilders the uninitiated.—
Ana Karina Zatarain,
New Yorker,
19 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
At times, the distinction between mood and physical description blurs.—
Jasmine Vojdani,
Vulture,
10 Feb. 2026
-
As Nick and Jacki’s conversations deepen, the line between witness and participant blurs, forcing both to confront what justice demands, what belief requires, and the perilous distance between true freedom and the illusion of self-determination.—
Greg Evans,
Deadline,
9 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Tate’s commentary instead conflates population-level decline (NAEP) with performance among a selective, higher-achieving subset of students (SAT/ACT), and then treats this mismatch as evidence of test manipulation.—
Ryan Craig,
Forbes.com,
16 Jan. 2026
-
Critics say that definition conflates criticism of the Israeli government with antisemitism.—
Chris Sommerfeldt,
New York Daily News,
2 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Confuses.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/confuses. Accessed 18 Feb. 2026.
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