1
as in to bewilder
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 to complicate
to make (something) unclear to the understanding
stop confusing the issue with irrelevant facts
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in to mistake
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 to embarrass
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 to disrupt
to undo the proper order or arrangement of
vandals had hopelessly confused the papers in the office files
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in difficult
Related Words
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
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Recent Examples of confuse
Mark Leibovich, The Atlantic, 11 Feb. 2026
The refusal to confuse outrage with agency.
—Joe Palaggi, Twin Cities, 11 Feb. 2026
Kate Erbland, IndieWire, 18 Feb. 2026
Keeping a list of wrongs ordered a world that was new and confusing to me.
—Literary Hub, 18 Feb. 2026
Paige Moore, AZCentral.com, 7 Feb. 2026
As technology has advanced, criminals have grown savvy and used it to their benefit, confusing police and the public and masking their identities.
—Barbara Ortutay, Fortune, 6 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for confuse
Verb
But none of this should be confused with a national wave of love for the opposition party.
—Mark Leibovich, The Atlantic, 11 Feb. 2026
The refusal to confuse outrage with agency.
—Joe Palaggi, Twin Cities, 11 Feb. 2026
Adjective
Letting Becket narrate the entire outing sure doesn’t help, adding a structure that isn’t just boring, but also confusing.
—Kate Erbland, IndieWire, 18 Feb. 2026
Keeping a list of wrongs ordered a world that was new and confusing to me.
—Literary Hub, 18 Feb. 2026
Verb
For many, tax season can be a confusing and stressful time with lingering deadlines and confusing tax forms.
—Paige Moore, AZCentral.com, 7 Feb. 2026
As technology has advanced, criminals have grown savvy and used it to their benefit, confusing police and the public and masking their identities.
—Barbara Ortutay, Fortune, 6 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for confuse
Recent Examples of Synonyms for confuse
Adjective
-
The voracious reader said that the best books, those that brought him happiness, were not the ones that ease our way in this strange and difficult world.—
Noah Goldberg,
Los Angeles Times,
16 Feb. 2026
-
Local farmers work long hours, often under difficult conditions, to ensure our food supply remains steady.—
Joe Dymek,
Baltimore Sun,
15 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
The oven was equally perplexing.—
Jason Fried,
The Atlantic,
7 Feb. 2026
-
It’s been part of a perplexing trend this season for Peterson, who has missed 10 full games and notable portions of 10 others with nagging injuries.—
Justin Williams,
New York Times,
3 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
That can be especially troublesome for travelers prone to getting seasick.—
Nathan Diller,
USA Today,
19 Feb. 2026
-
But not being able to match a 3-pointer consistently could prove troublesome.—
Zach Harper,
New York Times,
18 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
And that is to solve difficult criminal cases like the baffling Nancy Guthrie mystery, as well as to combat threats to the country.—
Peter Lucas,
Boston Herald,
16 Feb. 2026
-
Why British Chinese food is baffling to Americans.—
Maureen Ohare,
CNN Money,
14 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
When Luna conjoins intense Pluto, our feelings about such shifts might burst out in unpleasant ways!—
Tarot.com,
The Orlando Sentinel,
15 Feb. 2026
-
Though a person infected with the virus may experience unpleasant symptoms, others may be asymptomatic and show no symptoms at all.—
Adrianna Rodriguez,
USA Today,
15 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
And possibly the most puzzling.—
Chris Perkins,
Sun Sentinel,
16 Feb. 2026
-
One of the most puzzling aspects of Guthrie's disappearance is the motive.—
Stephanie Innes,
AZCentral.com,
13 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
In the early hours of February 24 2022, standing on the freezing roof of a hotel in Kyiv, the idea that Russia would launch a full-scale assault on Ukraine, despite a troop buildup on the border, still seemed almost impossible to imagine.—
Matthew Chance,
CNN Money,
21 Feb. 2026
-
As a skilled legal advocate, Andrew is known for listening first, acting with purpose, and guiding others through systems that often feel impossible to navigate.—
Daniel Fusch,
USA Today,
20 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
In 2021, one year into D’Amaro’s tenure and following COVID shutdowns, Disney did away with FastPass and introduced a confounding and very costly series of pay-to-skip passes, which require timing advanced booking of limited slots in these formerly free-to-enter shorter lines.—
Rebecca Alter,
Vulture,
5 Feb. 2026
-
The Eagles were a confounding defending champion throughout the regular season.—
Jeff Howe,
New York Times,
5 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Confuse.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/confuse. Accessed 21 Feb. 2026.
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