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
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Recent Examples of confuse
Ted Johnson, Deadline, 23 Jan. 2026
The smaller, suborbital New Shepard vehicle is not to be confused with Blue Origin's towering orbital New Glenn rocket that has now launched twice from Florida.
—Eric Lagatta, USA Today, 22 Jan. 2026
Kevin Dolak, HollywoodReporter, 29 Jan. 2026
Work plans may slow, feedback may feel confusing, or old goals may need revision.
—Dossé-Via Trenou, Refinery29, 29 Jan. 2026
Emiliano Tahui Gómez, Austin American Statesman, 10 Jan. 2026
Among the factors hindering higher youth participation, CIRCLE research shows, include confusing registration deadlines and requirements, a lack of youth outreach and a dearth of regular curriculum that teaches young people about elections and voting in school.
—Tess Kenny, Chicago Tribune, 7 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for confuse
Verb
The rule is often confused with the Fairness Doctrine, who required stations to carry a balance of different viewpoints on issues of public importance.
—Ted Johnson, Deadline, 23 Jan. 2026
The smaller, suborbital New Shepard vehicle is not to be confused with Blue Origin's towering orbital New Glenn rocket that has now launched twice from Florida.
—Eric Lagatta, USA Today, 22 Jan. 2026
Adjective
Nevils explains in her book how this message was jarringly confusing and led her to second-guess what had happened, ultimately leading her back to the belief that the nature of the encounter was nothing alarming.
—Kevin Dolak, HollywoodReporter, 29 Jan. 2026
Work plans may slow, feedback may feel confusing, or old goals may need revision.
—Dossé-Via Trenou, Refinery29, 29 Jan. 2026
Verb
Canales-Pelaez said that local departments may be confusing administrative warrants with criminal ones, or overcomplying to avoid backlash from the state Legislature.
—Emiliano Tahui Gómez, Austin American Statesman, 10 Jan. 2026
Among the factors hindering higher youth participation, CIRCLE research shows, include confusing registration deadlines and requirements, a lack of youth outreach and a dearth of regular curriculum that teaches young people about elections and voting in school.
—Tess Kenny, Chicago Tribune, 7 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for confuse
Recent Examples of Synonyms for confuse
Adjective
-
Business leaders, of course, have their own interests and shareholders to serve, but Democrats can still protect the public interest while giving CEOs a seat at the table to reach pragmatic answers to difficult questions like these.—
Jeffrey Sonnenfeld,
Time,
13 Jan. 2026
-
Activist groups say hundreds of people have been killed, though the true toll remains difficult to verify due to the internet blackout and tight state controls on information.—
Landon Mion,
FOXNews.com,
13 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
The movie is hilarious, fun, disturbing, perplexing, exuberant, exhausting.—
Bilge Ebiri,
Vulture,
12 Dec. 2025
-
The canon can already be described as a bewildering artistic menagerie, including a perplexing assessment of misandrism, body horror by Brian Yuzna, killer toys from the ’90s, and more.—
Alison Foreman,
IndieWire,
11 Dec. 2025
Adjective
-
Inflation, though, has proven more troublesome.—
Jeff Cox,
CNBC,
28 Jan. 2026
-
Morgan said the small, community roadways and thruways will remain troublesome for crews as more overnight freezing is expected due to the low, single-digit temperatures.—
Jordan Green,
Memphis Commercial Appeal,
26 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
In fact, looking at the film as an adult can feel a tad baffling, watching teens sweat and cry and emote over what feel like non-issues.—
CT Jones,
Rolling Stone,
24 Jan. 2026
-
Tian's team explored several possible explanations for this baffling isotopic composition.—
Keith Cooper,
Space.com,
23 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
Using a speaker outside the stall results in reverb and echoing as the music bounces around the bathroom walls, making the sound muddy and unpleasant.—
BestReviews,
Chicago Tribune,
8 Jan. 2026
-
Given the lack of gravity, even a runny nose can turn into an extremely unpleasant experience, forcing astronauts to resort to unusual measures just to drain mucus from their nasal passages.—
Victor Tangermann,
Futurism,
8 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
The onlooker, Guillermo Dapelo, told People that the delivery bot had been stuck on the tracks for around fifteen minutes before being struck, making the incident all the more puzzling.—
Frank Landymore,
Futurism,
28 Jan. 2026
-
And the most puzzling aspect of the loss was Carolina’s offense, which sputtered throughout a foggy afternoon.—
Charlotte Observer,
Charlotte Observer,
29 Dec. 2025
Adjective
-
But critical race theory and Black history are impossible to separate.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
30 Jan. 2026
-
Officials warn that roads, especially bridges and overpasses, could become slick and hazardous, with travel conditions ranging from very difficult to potentially impossible late Saturday into early Sunday.—
Troy Bridges,
CBS News,
30 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
The Eagles were a confounding defending champion throughout the regular season.—
Jeff Howe,
New York Times,
5 Jan. 2026
-
What is the most confounding and terrible, however, is Gretchen’s assertion that Slade, the anti-Viagra, doesn’t get involved with the women on his own accord, but only engages because the women always talk about him.—
Brian Moylan,
Vulture,
10 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Confuse.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/confuse. Accessed 31 Jan. 2026.
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