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
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 confuses
The Longhorns’ roster build confuses me.
—
The Athletic College Basketball Staff, New York Times, 3 Nov. 2025
At her spring show, Marie-Adam Leenaerdt brought back the style, but her shiny spandex stocking version ensures no one confuses the look for child’s play.
—Laia Garcia-Furtado, Vogue, 30 Oct. 2025
But the state’s message confuses parents, especially the poor and underserved, Anzalone said.
—Arthur Allen, Miami Herald, 28 Oct. 2025
And yet, even though not having children is becoming more widely accepted and understood in our society, there’s something about a woman who has never been married that still confuses and scares people.
—Jessica Radloff, Glamour, 23 Oct. 2025
But the state's message confuses parents, especially the poor and underserved, Anzalone said.
—Arthur Allen, ABC News, 22 Oct. 2025
But too often, this instinct to chase conflict distorts reality and confuses the public.
—Nancy Gibbs, Time, 17 Oct. 2025
This view confuses structure with behavior.
—Dave Smith, Fortune, 17 Oct. 2025
Typically caused by a sensitive immune system — which confuses innocuous bacteria for harmful pathogens — symptoms include fever, fatigue, abdominal pain, nausea, diarrhea, loss of appetite and weight loss, anemia, skin changes, arthritis and more.
—Vanessa Etienne, PEOPLE, 29 Sep. 2025
The Athletic College Basketball Staff, New York Times, 3 Nov. 2025
At her spring show, Marie-Adam Leenaerdt brought back the style, but her shiny spandex stocking version ensures no one confuses the look for child’s play.
—Laia Garcia-Furtado, Vogue, 30 Oct. 2025
But the state’s message confuses parents, especially the poor and underserved, Anzalone said.
—Arthur Allen, Miami Herald, 28 Oct. 2025
And yet, even though not having children is becoming more widely accepted and understood in our society, there’s something about a woman who has never been married that still confuses and scares people.
—Jessica Radloff, Glamour, 23 Oct. 2025
But the state's message confuses parents, especially the poor and underserved, Anzalone said.
—Arthur Allen, ABC News, 22 Oct. 2025
But too often, this instinct to chase conflict distorts reality and confuses the public.
—Nancy Gibbs, Time, 17 Oct. 2025
This view confuses structure with behavior.
—Dave Smith, Fortune, 17 Oct. 2025
Typically caused by a sensitive immune system — which confuses innocuous bacteria for harmful pathogens — symptoms include fever, fatigue, abdominal pain, nausea, diarrhea, loss of appetite and weight loss, anemia, skin changes, arthritis and more.
—Vanessa Etienne, PEOPLE, 29 Sep. 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
-
Other data, however, complicates the picture.—
Jason Mastrodonato,
Mercury News,
6 Jan. 2026
-
Sentimental Value, an emotionally layered film up for eight Golden Globes this weekend, complicates that perspective.—
Shirley Li,
The Atlantic,
5 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Her unfinished palace becomes a mirror to a culture that mistakes accumulation for meaning.—
Sara Holdren,
Vulture,
10 Nov. 2025
-
My father mistakes it for the verb to bray, like a donkey.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
17 Oct. 2025
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
-
The condition disrupts the production of CoQ10, a molecule essential for generating energy inside cells, leading to rapid neurological decline and loss of mobility.—
Kaif Shaikh,
Interesting Engineering,
1 Jan. 2026
-
In other words, alcohol disrupts hydration, irritates the gut, inflames blood vessels, messes with sleep, and forces your liver into metabolic overdrive.—
Ciara Lucas,
SELF,
30 Dec. 2025
Verb
-
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
-
What starts as a cathartic process spirals out-of-control, as the line between justice and madness blurs.—
Jesse Whittock,
Deadline,
6 Nov. 2025
-
Best Hotels & Resorts The Calile Hotel Designed by acclaimed architects Richards and Spence, The Calile’s 175 rooms are framed by subtropical landscaping that blurs the line between indoors and out.—
Alli Forde,
Travel + Leisure,
6 Nov. 2025
Verb
-
Critics say that definition conflates criticism of the Israeli government with antisemitism.—
Chris Sommerfeldt,
New York Daily News,
2 Jan. 2026
-
Nobility is a social construct that conflates social status with positive character traits and has been used for centuries to justify the hoarding of power and wealth.—
F.D. Flam,
Twin Cities,
22 Nov. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Confuses.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/confuses. Accessed 9 Jan. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share