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
Chas Newkey-Burden, TheWeek, 24 Apr. 2026
This delightfully confusing creation from Slovenian designer Lara Bohinc features a shiny aluminum chair physically held within the arms of a reclining mahogany copy of the chair below.
—Francesca Perry, CNN Money, 24 Apr. 2026
In March, Fetterman told Chris Cuomo on NewsNation that his popularity with Republicans is confusing.
—Finch Walker, USA Today, 23 Apr. 2026
Customers have posted comments on social media about the confusing changes.
—Bud Kennedy, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 22 Apr. 2026
The student group’s attorney, former Republican lawmaker Anthony Sabatini, countered that the university’s decision was based on a flawed and confusing chain of authority, relying heavily on an outside political organization whose role is now in dispute.
—Garrett Shanley, Miami Herald, 21 Apr. 2026
The rollout has been confusing, with unclear communication and a transition process that left many residents frustrated.
—Mandy Havlik, San Diego Union-Tribune, 21 Apr. 2026
If in previous seasons, Euphoria foregrounded erotic imagery to make a point about the confusing and often painful process of coming to terms with one’s sexuality, now that poignancy is gone.
—Rafaela Bassili, Vulture, 20 Apr. 2026
With demand outpacing the availability of providers, wait times can stretch for months or even years, depending on the procedure, while insurance coverage is patchy and confusing.
—Theresa Gaffney, STAT, 20 Apr. 2026
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
Suddenly, your life is a chaotic mix of doctors’ appointments, calls from insurance adjusters, and a pile of paperwork filled with confusing legal jargon.
—William Jones, Sacbee.com, 17 Apr. 2026
But online as an antidote only works if the sector stops confusing access with quality.
—Ian Gibson, Chicago Tribune, 16 Apr. 2026
People will no longer fuss over confusing hirings and firings or head-scratching trades and free-agent signings of the past.
—James L. Edwards Iii, New York Times, 16 Apr. 2026
But Neptune also blurs lines, which is why its influence can feel mysterious or even confusing at times.
—Valerie Mesa, PEOPLE, 10 Apr. 2026
That’s not all that’s confusing across the first season.
—Ben Travers, IndieWire, 9 Apr. 2026
Adjective
The layout of the hotel is a little confusing because of a lack of signposts and labels.
—Chas Newkey-Burden, TheWeek, 24 Apr. 2026
This delightfully confusing creation from Slovenian designer Lara Bohinc features a shiny aluminum chair physically held within the arms of a reclining mahogany copy of the chair below.
—Francesca Perry, CNN Money, 24 Apr. 2026
In March, Fetterman told Chris Cuomo on NewsNation that his popularity with Republicans is confusing.
—Finch Walker, USA Today, 23 Apr. 2026
Customers have posted comments on social media about the confusing changes.
—Bud Kennedy, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 22 Apr. 2026
The student group’s attorney, former Republican lawmaker Anthony Sabatini, countered that the university’s decision was based on a flawed and confusing chain of authority, relying heavily on an outside political organization whose role is now in dispute.
—Garrett Shanley, Miami Herald, 21 Apr. 2026
The rollout has been confusing, with unclear communication and a transition process that left many residents frustrated.
—Mandy Havlik, San Diego Union-Tribune, 21 Apr. 2026
If in previous seasons, Euphoria foregrounded erotic imagery to make a point about the confusing and often painful process of coming to terms with one’s sexuality, now that poignancy is gone.
—Rafaela Bassili, Vulture, 20 Apr. 2026
With demand outpacing the availability of providers, wait times can stretch for months or even years, depending on the procedure, while insurance coverage is patchy and confusing.
—Theresa Gaffney, STAT, 20 Apr. 2026
Verb
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
Suddenly, your life is a chaotic mix of doctors’ appointments, calls from insurance adjusters, and a pile of paperwork filled with confusing legal jargon.
—William Jones, Sacbee.com, 17 Apr. 2026
But online as an antidote only works if the sector stops confusing access with quality.
—Ian Gibson, Chicago Tribune, 16 Apr. 2026
People will no longer fuss over confusing hirings and firings or head-scratching trades and free-agent signings of the past.
—James L. Edwards Iii, New York Times, 16 Apr. 2026
But Neptune also blurs lines, which is why its influence can feel mysterious or even confusing at times.
—Valerie Mesa, PEOPLE, 10 Apr. 2026
That’s not all that’s confusing across the first season.
—Ben Travers, IndieWire, 9 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
-
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
-
That dynamic pops up in much of Paul’s dialogue, which has a Saturday Night Live habit of mistaking pop-culture references in the shape of jokes for actual humor.—
Jackson McHenry,
Vulture,
21 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
-
While disrupting the business of an American multinational company may seem a pallid response to the destruction of an Iranian primary school where more than a hundred children were killed, such asymmetric attacks in the physical and digital realms have been a feature of this conflict.—
Sue Halpern,
New Yorker,
24 Apr. 2026
-
Treasury has issued sanctions on more than 1,000 targets since 2025 under the current maximum pressure campaign, the official said, aimed at disrupting Iran’s oil trade and financial networks.—
Efrat Lachter,
FOXNews.com,
24 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
During the Cold War, this meant limiting the Soviet Union’s influence in the region, while contending with the development of nuclear weapons by two troublesome allies, Israel and Pakistan.—
Jeffrey Taliaferro,
The Conversation,
11 Apr. 2026
-
That can be troublesome as consumers are grappling with higher grocery prices and strained budgets.—
Betty Lin-Fisher,
USA Today,
10 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Confusing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/confusing. Accessed 30 Apr. 2026.
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