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
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 confusing
Christine Ro, Forbes.com, 12 June 2026
Others behave like misleading traffic signs, sending confusing instructions.
—Charles J. Dimitroff, The Conversation, 12 June 2026
Moreover, requiring a name change now, only to potentially revert back to the current name after appeal, would be incredibly confusing for the public.
—Ted Johnson, Deadline, 12 June 2026
Visitors to San Jose will be in for an interesting — and perhaps confusing — experience Sunday thanks to the second edition this year of Viva CalleSJ, the program that closes about six miles of city streets to cars and trucks and lets cyclists, skaters, scooters and strollers roam free.
—Sal Pizarro, Mercury News, 11 June 2026
The rules surrounding federal student loan collections and Social Security protections can be confusing for borrowers.
—Angelica Leicht, CBS News, 10 June 2026
As for the confusing timeline, Cooke says Batula moved out of their apartment in the beginning of November.
—Jackie Strause, HollywoodReporter, 10 June 2026
This is a little bit more confusing.
—Selena Fragassi, SPIN, 9 June 2026
In addition, many regulations are confusing, duplicative and a minefield for those who must comply.
—Editorial, Boston Herald, 8 June 2026
Charles J. Dimitroff, The Conversation, 12 June 2026
While the numbers, nutrients, and ingredient lists may seem confusing at first, learning how to read nutrition labels can tell you a lot about what’s actually in the food.
—Amy Brownstein, Verywell Health, 10 June 2026
Leaving porch lights on overnight can also have potential negative impacts on nature, confusing them and disrupting their natural behaviors, Harshbarger says.
—Kate McKenna, The Spruce, 9 June 2026
Emotionally and intellectually rewarding, Ulmer’s work was vibrant, visceral and infused with a musical logic that would have been confusing if attempted by less accomplished artists, but made perfect sense in his skilled hands.
—George Varga, San Diego Union-Tribune, 9 June 2026
However, actually making shortcuts is confusing and requires a guide.
—Ruben Circelli, PC Magazine, 9 June 2026
Relocating a bird's nest is confusing for the parents, dangerous for the eggs, and, in most cases, against the law.
—Blythe Copeland, Martha Stewart, 6 June 2026
Since tickets went on sale last year, there has been ongoing controversy surrounding the cost of attendance, from confusing (and expensive) ticket prices to high transit costs.
—Joe Murphy, NBC news, 1 June 2026
Patients taken to court described baffling bills, confusing health plan rules, and frustrating and fruitless telephone calls to hospital billing offices and health insurers’ customer-service lines.
—Katy Golvala, Hartford Courant, 1 June 2026
Adjective
As with other animal welfare labels, there is a large and sometimes confusing range of labels describing eggs produced in kinder ways.
—Christine Ro, Forbes.com, 12 June 2026
Others behave like misleading traffic signs, sending confusing instructions.
—Charles J. Dimitroff, The Conversation, 12 June 2026
Moreover, requiring a name change now, only to potentially revert back to the current name after appeal, would be incredibly confusing for the public.
—Ted Johnson, Deadline, 12 June 2026
Visitors to San Jose will be in for an interesting — and perhaps confusing — experience Sunday thanks to the second edition this year of Viva CalleSJ, the program that closes about six miles of city streets to cars and trucks and lets cyclists, skaters, scooters and strollers roam free.
—Sal Pizarro, Mercury News, 11 June 2026
The rules surrounding federal student loan collections and Social Security protections can be confusing for borrowers.
—Angelica Leicht, CBS News, 10 June 2026
As for the confusing timeline, Cooke says Batula moved out of their apartment in the beginning of November.
—Jackie Strause, HollywoodReporter, 10 June 2026
This is a little bit more confusing.
—Selena Fragassi, SPIN, 9 June 2026
In addition, many regulations are confusing, duplicative and a minefield for those who must comply.
—Editorial, Boston Herald, 8 June 2026
Verb
Cancers can release this protein into the tumor microenvironment, where the molecule attaches to the T cells and change their ability to communicate with other cells, confusing the T cells and restricting their ability to survive and kill cancer.
—Charles J. Dimitroff, The Conversation, 12 June 2026
While the numbers, nutrients, and ingredient lists may seem confusing at first, learning how to read nutrition labels can tell you a lot about what’s actually in the food.
—Amy Brownstein, Verywell Health, 10 June 2026
Leaving porch lights on overnight can also have potential negative impacts on nature, confusing them and disrupting their natural behaviors, Harshbarger says.
—Kate McKenna, The Spruce, 9 June 2026
Emotionally and intellectually rewarding, Ulmer’s work was vibrant, visceral and infused with a musical logic that would have been confusing if attempted by less accomplished artists, but made perfect sense in his skilled hands.
—George Varga, San Diego Union-Tribune, 9 June 2026
However, actually making shortcuts is confusing and requires a guide.
—Ruben Circelli, PC Magazine, 9 June 2026
Relocating a bird's nest is confusing for the parents, dangerous for the eggs, and, in most cases, against the law.
—Blythe Copeland, Martha Stewart, 6 June 2026
Since tickets went on sale last year, there has been ongoing controversy surrounding the cost of attendance, from confusing (and expensive) ticket prices to high transit costs.
—Joe Murphy, NBC news, 1 June 2026
Patients taken to court described baffling bills, confusing health plan rules, and frustrating and fruitless telephone calls to hospital billing offices and health insurers’ customer-service lines.
—Katy Golvala, Hartford Courant, 1 June 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for confusing
Adjective
-
JSerra navigated a difficult regular-season schedule, then avoided upsets in the playoffs.—
Eric Sondheimer,
Los Angeles Times,
8 June 2026
-
But the strength of his acidic, strong, difficult performance was too powerful for the Tonys to deny.—
Rebecca Alter,
Vulture,
8 June 2026
Adjective
-
The famed Altar Stone is far more perplexing, however.—
Andrew Paul,
Popular Science,
4 June 2026
-
On June 3, Mercury in Cancer will square off with Neptune in Aries, creating a perplexing atmosphere where emotions, assumptions and mixed signals can easily distort the truth.—
Valerie Mesa,
PEOPLE,
3 June 2026
Verb
-
For more than four minutes Darnold drove downfield, connecting on three of four passes, baffling the pass rushers, bleeding the clock, and by the time the Seahawks finally gave the ball back, the Rams had only 25 seconds to live.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
1 June 2026
-
Though some of the recent playoff defeats have been baffling and call for self-evaluation within the organization, the culture has been a huge net positive overall.—
Jay King,
New York Times,
1 June 2026
Verb
-
Wind and warm weather were complicating firefighting efforts.—
Cecilio Padilla,
CBS News,
10 June 2026
-
However, the complicating factor is transportation within the country, as classic Bolivia itineraries often involve long travel days between destinations, many of them by road.—
Bailey Berg,
Condé Nast Traveler,
10 June 2026
Verb
-
That’s when organizations begin mistaking operational momentum for operational stability.—
Doug Shannon,
Forbes.com,
12 June 2026
-
On the football field, there is no mistaking New York Giants wide receiver Malik Nabers.—
Ryan Canfield,
FOXNews.com,
3 June 2026
Verb
-
Then to Sydney Harbour, the very scene of that embarrassing capsize exactly a year earlier, and the Americans won the event outright for a first win since October 2023.—
Andrew Rice,
New York Times,
29 May 2026
-
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
Verb
-
In the bedroom, a Noguchi Akari lantern and antique French column topped with one of Gibbon’s ceramic vessels create a moment of interest without disrupting the room’s sense of calm.—
Kristen Flanagan,
Architectural Digest,
12 June 2026
-
If the current Gulf War, marked by controversy over control of the Strait of Hormuz, does not end soon, the conflict may shift from attacks on the transport of oil by sea to disrupting vital potable water resources.—
Ariel Cohen,
Forbes.com,
12 June 2026
Adjective
-
The motel is also the target of a Fort Worth Code Compliance crackdown aimed at cleaning up troublesome properties in the city.—
Matthew Adams,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
10 June 2026
-
This state-level scorecard hides a troublesome trend in early 2026.—
Jonathan Lansner,
Oc Register,
7 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Confusing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/confusing. Accessed 15 Jun. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
