1
as in difficult
Related Words
Relevance
Dissimilar Words
2
as in perplexing
Related Words
Dissimilar Words
1
as in baffling
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 complicating
to make (something) unclear to the understanding
stop confusing the issue with irrelevant facts
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in mistaking
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 embarrassing
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 disrupting
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 confusing
Chris Feil, Vulture, 1 May 2026
Fans aren't happy with FIFA for many reasons Then there was the confusing way FIFA is selling the World Cup tickets, from using lotteries to its hard-to-understand array of seating categories.
—Rafael Nam, NPR, 30 Apr. 2026
Packed neatly in the case, Alba uncovers hundreds of notebooks that recount Clara’s life over half a century, and offers her the missing puzzle pieces to her own fractured and confusing origin story.
—Aramide Tinubu, Variety, 29 Apr. 2026
Captions were prone to more errors when offline, but translations often came out downright confusing, with both wrong words and baffling grammar.
—Will Greenwald, PC Magazine, 29 Apr. 2026
Drivers will discover that the design causes unavoidable backups in both directions on Broward Boulevard, plus confusing and hazardous lane changes to avoid traffic flowing from the opposite direction.
—Sun Sentinel Editorial Board, Sun Sentinel, 28 Apr. 2026
Look, watching sports has become confusing and expensive.
—Bobby Burack Outkick, FOXNews.com, 28 Apr. 2026
Letterboxd’s site remains confusing to navigate and its app isn’t much better.
—Max Tani, semafor.com, 27 Apr. 2026
For many Detroit homeowners, property taxes can be confusing and overwhelming.
—Elaine Rojas-Castillo, CBS News, 27 Apr. 2026
Laura Lane, PEOPLE, 1 May 2026
But online as an antidote only works if the sector stops confusing access with quality.
—Ian Gibson, Twin Cities, 1 May 2026
Americans approach the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence amid confusing turmoil.
—Jon Meacham, Washington Post, 29 Apr. 2026
But online as an antidote only works if the sector stops confusing access with quality.
—Ian Gibson, Mercury News, 29 Apr. 2026
Sorting foods according to the number of ingredients and the technology used to make the foods — but not the actual nutritional value — could just end up confusing people and distracting from the larger issue.
—Rob Williams, EverydayHealth.com, 27 Apr. 2026
Welcome to Asking for a Friend, a weekly series dedicated to solving the messy, awkward, and confusing parts of modern friendship.
—Jenna Ryu, SELF, 22 Apr. 2026
But factors like confusing trailheads and limited provisions mean that going alone also comes with unique risks.
—Allison Forsyth, Health, 21 Apr. 2026
Even the names of the referendum committees are confusing voters.
—Jahd Khalil, NPR, 20 Apr. 2026
Adjective
Though Hathaway’s work doesn’t make sense of the film’s confusing political turns, her fraught navigation of the personal and the political plays like a magnetic performance from a better movie.
—Chris Feil, Vulture, 1 May 2026
Fans aren't happy with FIFA for many reasons Then there was the confusing way FIFA is selling the World Cup tickets, from using lotteries to its hard-to-understand array of seating categories.
—Rafael Nam, NPR, 30 Apr. 2026
Packed neatly in the case, Alba uncovers hundreds of notebooks that recount Clara’s life over half a century, and offers her the missing puzzle pieces to her own fractured and confusing origin story.
—Aramide Tinubu, Variety, 29 Apr. 2026
Captions were prone to more errors when offline, but translations often came out downright confusing, with both wrong words and baffling grammar.
—Will Greenwald, PC Magazine, 29 Apr. 2026
Drivers will discover that the design causes unavoidable backups in both directions on Broward Boulevard, plus confusing and hazardous lane changes to avoid traffic flowing from the opposite direction.
—Sun Sentinel Editorial Board, Sun Sentinel, 28 Apr. 2026
Look, watching sports has become confusing and expensive.
—Bobby Burack Outkick, FOXNews.com, 28 Apr. 2026
Letterboxd’s site remains confusing to navigate and its app isn’t much better.
—Max Tani, semafor.com, 27 Apr. 2026
For many Detroit homeowners, property taxes can be confusing and overwhelming.
—Elaine Rojas-Castillo, CBS News, 27 Apr. 2026
Verb
Amanda Peet has had people confusing her for Lake Bell at restaurants, airports, red carpets and everywhere in between.
—Laura Lane, PEOPLE, 1 May 2026
But online as an antidote only works if the sector stops confusing access with quality.
—Ian Gibson, Twin Cities, 1 May 2026
Americans approach the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence amid confusing turmoil.
—Jon Meacham, Washington Post, 29 Apr. 2026
But online as an antidote only works if the sector stops confusing access with quality.
—Ian Gibson, Mercury News, 29 Apr. 2026
Sorting foods according to the number of ingredients and the technology used to make the foods — but not the actual nutritional value — could just end up confusing people and distracting from the larger issue.
—Rob Williams, EverydayHealth.com, 27 Apr. 2026
Welcome to Asking for a Friend, a weekly series dedicated to solving the messy, awkward, and confusing parts of modern friendship.
—Jenna Ryu, SELF, 22 Apr. 2026
But factors like confusing trailheads and limited provisions mean that going alone also comes with unique risks.
—Allison Forsyth, Health, 21 Apr. 2026
Even the names of the referendum committees are confusing voters.
—Jahd Khalil, NPR, 20 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for confusing
Adjective
-
But with the Lightning taking back home-ice advantage with this win and the series shifting back to Tampa, where Cooper will have full control of the matchup, the task becomes that much more difficult for the Suzuki line.—
Arpon Basu,
New York Times,
27 Apr. 2026
-
Tornadoes are extremely difficult to see and confirm at night.—
STAR-TELEGRAM WEATHER BOT,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
26 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Our universe is full of mysteries, but few are as perplexing as the dark, tiny galaxies that hover around larger ones like the Milky Way.—
Paul Sutter,
Space.com,
20 Apr. 2026
-
Perhaps the most perplexing part of the Nancy Guthrie investigation for the general public has been the lack of information.—
Lizzie Lanuza,
StyleCaster,
14 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
As the castle’s internal order collapses under the weight of a string of baffling crimes, Araki strikes a fragile alliance with Kuroda Kanbei – a razor-minded captive languishing in his own dungeon – in a race to root out a traitor before Oda’s army closes in.—
Naman Ramachandran,
Variety,
14 Apr. 2026
-
This inversion explains a host of baffling political and cultural phenomena of late.—
Spencer Kornhaber,
The Atlantic,
27 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Ian does his best to make the most of his time with his son, but the single father has a knack for complicating things.—
Ryan Gajewski,
HollywoodReporter,
29 Apr. 2026
-
These dynamic risks are prolonging inflation and complicating the path for central banks, which may need to keep interest rates higher for longer to contain price pressures.—
USA Today,
USA Today,
28 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Outside state lines, the perception of The Big D aligns with the eponymous prime time soap opera saga, often mistaking the Stockyards as within city limits (much to neighboring Fort Worth’s dismay).—
Nathanael Gassett,
Bon Appetit Magazine,
30 Apr. 2026
-
When a Southern California resident spotted a fleshy purple organism on the shore, she might have been forgiven for mistaking it for a fungus.—
Samantha Agate,
Charlotte Observer,
23 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Tragicomedy repeats as embarrassing parody.—
Theater Critic,
Los Angeles Times,
29 Apr. 2026
-
The Charlotte Checkers opened the AHL playoffs with a bang Wednesday, embarrassing the Springfield Thunderbirds in the opening game of the teams’ first-round AHL playoff series in Charlotte.—
Charlotte Observer,
Charlotte Observer,
23 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Suggs set the tone for the series in the opening quarter of Game 1, disrupting Pistons passes, sinking a pair of 3-pointers and belly-flopping to the floor to collect a loose basketball.—
Josh Robbins,
New York Times,
1 May 2026
-
Rather than relying on a future sale, many owners are proactively planning how to fund taxes and expenses without disrupting operations.—
Fennemore,
Oc Register,
30 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Negative campaigning is nothing new, but Conway’s latest tactics are particularly troublesome.—
Bobby Zirkin,
Baltimore Sun,
30 Apr. 2026
-
Food waste is heavy and troublesome for landfills but can be beneficially composted.—
Mike Ryan,
Sun Sentinel,
28 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Confusing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/confusing. Accessed 4 May. 2026.
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