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
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 disinformation pushed by these types of influencers confuses audiences, leaves them less informed, and erodes trust in actual journalism.
—Taylor Lorenz, HollywoodReporter, 17 Sep. 2025
Without it, greenwashing confuses customers and slows adoption.
—Marianne Lehnis, Forbes.com, 17 Sep. 2025
Yes, God confuses the language and scatters everyone, thereby creating linguistic and cultural diversity.
—John Fugelsang
september 12, Literary Hub, 12 Sep. 2025
This is the same president who habitually confuses aggressor and victim in the war between Russia and Ukraine.
—Andreas Kluth, Twin Cities, 11 Sep. 2025
Vanessa Etienne, PEOPLE, 29 Sep. 2025
The disinformation pushed by these types of influencers confuses audiences, leaves them less informed, and erodes trust in actual journalism.
—Taylor Lorenz, HollywoodReporter, 17 Sep. 2025
Without it, greenwashing confuses customers and slows adoption.
—Marianne Lehnis, Forbes.com, 17 Sep. 2025
Yes, God confuses the language and scatters everyone, thereby creating linguistic and cultural diversity.
—John Fugelsang
september 12, Literary Hub, 12 Sep. 2025
This is the same president who habitually confuses aggressor and victim in the war between Russia and Ukraine.
—Andreas Kluth, Twin Cities, 11 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for confuses
Verb
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But Thursday’s positive economic data complicates the Fed’s situation.—
Rob Wile,
NBC news,
25 Sep. 2025
-
Each character, from family members to firm associates, complicates Jax’s pursuit of justice while reflecting the contradictions of reality.—
Okla Jones,
Essence,
25 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
The extensive embellishment of a score by Bobby Krlic (the English musician who records as the Haxan Cloak), drenched in moody synths and guitar, fits the tone but also adds to the nagging sense that the younger Day-Lewis’ storytelling too often mistakes padding for atmosphere.—
David Rooney,
HollywoodReporter,
28 Sep. 2025
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Younger Recently divorced and adjusting to life as an empty nester, fortysomething Liza Miller (Sutton Foster) gains a boost of confidence once a 26-year-old tattoo artist mistakes her for someone his age.—
Hannah Kerns,
PEOPLE,
6 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Once Hughes plays the ball towards Lacroix, Mateta (red) disrupts City’s central zonal defender, Ruben Dias, and the rest of the Palace attackers diverge towards different zones inside the penalty area.—
Ahmed Walid,
New York Times,
24 Sep. 2025
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What Happens Next As AI disrupts the hiring process across different industries, Thompson anticipates more companies could pull back on hiring altogether.—
Suzanne Blake,
MSNBC Newsweek,
23 Sep. 2025
Verb
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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
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Wedged in the far southeastern corner of the bottom of the continent, between South Africa and Mozambique, Eswatini is the last absolute monarchy in Africa, a status that bewilders modernizers and beguiles traditionalists.—
The Editors,
JSTOR Daily,
15 Aug. 2025
Verb
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The initiative highlights how the war in Ukraine blurs the line between civilian tech and military hardware, as armies seek to field cost-effective solutions of industrial strain and battlefield urgency.—
Atharva Gosavi,
Interesting Engineering,
1 Oct. 2025
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The result is a bittersweet dramedy about rejection, resilience and legacy that blurs fiction and reality.—
Anna Marie de la Fuente,
Variety,
1 Oct. 2025
Verb
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The bill conflates ethics with tax relief and reinforces the idea that lawmakers need a sweet treat to behave ethically.—
Andrew Leahey,
Forbes.com,
10 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Currently comprising more than 8,300 active satellites, the Starlink constellation also disturbs radio telescope observations.—
Tereza Pultarova,
Space.com,
11 Sep. 2025
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The water is perfectly clear — until someone brushes the side of the cave or disturbs the soft bottom, sending fine silt particles billowing into the beam of a headlamp.—
Jennifer Walker,
CNN Money,
18 Aug. 2025
Verb
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One case that still baffles is the macabre story of Virginia McCullough, who killed her parents for their money – and then lived with their bodies for four years.—
KC Baker,
People.com,
15 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Confuses.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/confuses. Accessed 7 Oct. 2025.
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