1
as in difficult
Related Words
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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
R. Eric Thomas, Chicago Tribune, 23 May 2026
But trying to gather bank statements, review tax transcripts and fill out forms can be time-consuming, confusing and stressful.
—John Csiszar, CNBC, 22 May 2026
The government’s guidance on the hantavirus outbreak has been confusing, leaving some travelers—particularly passengers who went home rather than to the University of Nebraska Medical Center quarantine unit—without clear monitoring instructions.
—Stephanie Psaki, The Atlantic, 22 May 2026
The whole thing is very confusing in a very Bob Dylan way, but also kind of incredible.
—Los Angeles Times, 22 May 2026
Anyone who has dealt with a billing issue, a broken website form or a confusing insurance claim already knows that.
—Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 22 May 2026
Still, if men have never dabbled into the makeup world before, knowing where to start can be quite overwhelming—not to mention confusing.
—Christian Allaire, Vogue, 22 May 2026
Stephen Colbert leaves late night as the king of the ratings, which made his cancellation even more confusing to industry observers.
—Toni Fitzgerald, Forbes.com, 22 May 2026
There need not be any rental cars, two-hour rideshares or awkward, confusing gameday shuttles.
—Elias Burke, New York Times, 21 May 2026
Jill Lawless, Chicago Tribune, 16 May 2026
Clients hiring us for AI narrative work are under investor pressure to move fast, and the cost of confusing speed with substance will show up on their balance sheets.
—Kathleen Lucente, Forbes.com, 15 May 2026
Cassidy complained Friday that the new primary system enacted last year was confusing voters by requiring them to ask for a partisan ballot instead of the previous all-party primary that had been in place.
—ABC News, 15 May 2026
The hemp business is trickier, said Palmer, due in part to confusing and changing federal and state regulations on the cultivation and production of cannabis.
—William Deffaa, Baltimore Sun, 14 May 2026
Some states’ laws are confusing or vague.
—Allen G. Breed, Los Angeles Times, 14 May 2026
At the same time, confusing social dynamics or crossed wires with friends could leave you overthinking someone’s true intentions.
—Valerie Mesa, PEOPLE, 11 May 2026
The Elegoo Jupiter 2 3D printer shows flashes of excellence with its massive build volume and striking print quality, but uneven automation, confusing UI menus, and a still-maturing workflow limit its appeal.
—Michael Lydick, PC Magazine, 2 May 2026
But online as an antidote only works if the sector stops confusing access with quality.
—Ian Gibson, Twin Cities, 1 May 2026
Adjective
Grief is complex and, often, confusing.
—R. Eric Thomas, Chicago Tribune, 23 May 2026
But trying to gather bank statements, review tax transcripts and fill out forms can be time-consuming, confusing and stressful.
—John Csiszar, CNBC, 22 May 2026
The government’s guidance on the hantavirus outbreak has been confusing, leaving some travelers—particularly passengers who went home rather than to the University of Nebraska Medical Center quarantine unit—without clear monitoring instructions.
—Stephanie Psaki, The Atlantic, 22 May 2026
The whole thing is very confusing in a very Bob Dylan way, but also kind of incredible.
—Los Angeles Times, 22 May 2026
Anyone who has dealt with a billing issue, a broken website form or a confusing insurance claim already knows that.
—Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 22 May 2026
Still, if men have never dabbled into the makeup world before, knowing where to start can be quite overwhelming—not to mention confusing.
—Christian Allaire, Vogue, 22 May 2026
Stephen Colbert leaves late night as the king of the ratings, which made his cancellation even more confusing to industry observers.
—Toni Fitzgerald, Forbes.com, 22 May 2026
There need not be any rental cars, two-hour rideshares or awkward, confusing gameday shuttles.
—Elias Burke, New York Times, 21 May 2026
Verb
Winners are chosen by a mix of votes from the two, translated into points by a system confusing even to Eurovision fans.
—Jill Lawless, Chicago Tribune, 16 May 2026
Clients hiring us for AI narrative work are under investor pressure to move fast, and the cost of confusing speed with substance will show up on their balance sheets.
—Kathleen Lucente, Forbes.com, 15 May 2026
Cassidy complained Friday that the new primary system enacted last year was confusing voters by requiring them to ask for a partisan ballot instead of the previous all-party primary that had been in place.
—ABC News, 15 May 2026
The hemp business is trickier, said Palmer, due in part to confusing and changing federal and state regulations on the cultivation and production of cannabis.
—William Deffaa, Baltimore Sun, 14 May 2026
Some states’ laws are confusing or vague.
—Allen G. Breed, Los Angeles Times, 14 May 2026
At the same time, confusing social dynamics or crossed wires with friends could leave you overthinking someone’s true intentions.
—Valerie Mesa, PEOPLE, 11 May 2026
The Elegoo Jupiter 2 3D printer shows flashes of excellence with its massive build volume and striking print quality, but uneven automation, confusing UI menus, and a still-maturing workflow limit its appeal.
—Michael Lydick, PC Magazine, 2 May 2026
But online as an antidote only works if the sector stops confusing access with quality.
—Ian Gibson, Twin Cities, 1 May 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for confusing
Adjective
-
When Thomson went through a difficult divorce, in 2014, Djena would often check in on her, showing up at her door with food.—
Yudhijit Bhattacharjee,
New Yorker,
18 May 2026
-
Crow-Armstrong had just failed to make a highly difficult, leaping catch at the wall.—
Alejandro Avila OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
18 May 2026
Adjective
-
The right-hander has struggled to maintain his velocity this season, a perplexing trend largely stemming from an inconsistency in his mechanics.—
Fabian Ardaya,
New York Times,
15 May 2026
-
At the same time, the moon in Pisces makes social dynamics and exchanges more hazy and perplexing, especially with Mercury approaching a semi-square with Neptune in Aries, which will become exact tomorrow morning.—
Valerie Mesa,
PEOPLE,
11 May 2026
Verb
-
The slow starts are baffling to Becht.—
Chris Hays,
The Orlando Sentinel,
4 May 2026
-
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
Verb
-
The response unfolds in a region long threatened by armed groups that have kept a large part of the population on the run and control a major city where Ebola cases have been confirmed, complicating health workers’ catch-up efforts to trace the outbreak.—
Justin Kabumba,
Los Angeles Times,
20 May 2026
-
There is a complicating factor.—
Adam Kovac,
Scientific American,
20 May 2026
Verb
-
Their father, Nahuel (Amién), flits from one romantic affair to another, failing to recognize his shortcomings the way fathers typically forget minor yet significant details, like mistaking his younger daughter’s shoe size or never delivering on his promise to have the sink fixed.—
Lé Baltar,
IndieWire,
16 May 2026
-
There’s no mistaking the stark change in the chip’s packaging.—
Yuri Kageyama,
Los Angeles Times,
13 May 2026
Verb
-
Lutnick's voluntary closed-door interview comes amid a monthslong procession of powerful people summoned before the committee, many of whom have been subjected to embarrassing revelations in the more than 3 million pages of records known as the Epstein files.—
Graham Kates,
CBS News,
6 May 2026
-
The Game 4 defeat – the no-silver-lining, embarrassing 6-1 loss – left a particularly rancid taste in everyone’s mouth.—
Steve Conroy,
Boston Herald,
30 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
The United States on June 25 launched a new satellite expected to significantly improve forecasts of solar flares and coronal mass ejections — huge plasma bubbles that can crash into Earth, disrupting power grids and communications.—
David Trainer,
Forbes.com,
21 May 2026
-
Warming temperatures and shifts in sea ice in the Arctic are disrupting the food web gray whales rely on during summer feeding months, according to a 2023 study in Science, leaving many malnourished during migration.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
20 May 2026
Adjective
-
The Italian town is not the first area to struggle with troublesome peacocks or other birds.—
Amarachi Orie,
CNN Money,
14 May 2026
-
One of the best ways to deter these troublesome insects is to lure them away from your zucchini crops by planting Hubbard squash nearby as a trap crop.—
Lauren Landers,
Better Homes & Gardens,
14 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Confusing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/confusing. Accessed 23 May. 2026.
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