1
as in fog
a state of mental uncertainty
the farmer's driving directions to the fairground just left us in total confusion
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in havoc
a state in which everything is out of order
it was hard to find anything in that confusion in the attic
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in embarrassment
the emotional state of being made self-consciously uncomfortable
thrown into speechless confusion by the wild accusations
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 confusion
Upheaval at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has plunged Kentucky's public health infrastructure into a state of confusion and uncertainty, officials said, and some local departments are beginning to question the credibility of the agency's guidance.
—
Connor Giffin, Louisville Courier Journal, 23 Oct. 2025
This absence can intensify feelings of isolation, anxiety, and identity confusion, all of which can increase the risk of perinatal/postpartum depression.
—Beth Ann Mayer, Parents, 23 Oct. 2025
But this year, when news of the government shutdown broke, some of that excitement turned to confusion.
—AFAR Media, 23 Oct. 2025
By keeping decision-making and responsibility in human hands, the law aims to avoid confusion about who is accountable when technology fails.
—Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 22 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for confusion
Connor Giffin, Louisville Courier Journal, 23 Oct. 2025
This absence can intensify feelings of isolation, anxiety, and identity confusion, all of which can increase the risk of perinatal/postpartum depression.
—Beth Ann Mayer, Parents, 23 Oct. 2025
But this year, when news of the government shutdown broke, some of that excitement turned to confusion.
—AFAR Media, 23 Oct. 2025
By keeping decision-making and responsibility in human hands, the law aims to avoid confusion about who is accountable when technology fails.
—Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 22 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for confusion
Recent Examples of Synonyms for confusion
Noun
-
In extremely dense fog, drivers are advised to turn on their hazard lights, pull over into a safe place, and if that’s on the side of the road or hard shoulder—turn off all lights except the hazards, engage the hand brake, and wait until the fog lifts.—
Amanda Greenwood,
MSNBC Newsweek,
6 Nov. 2025
-
In extremely dense fog where visibility is near zero, the best course of action is to first turn on your hazard lights, then simply pull into a safe location such as a parking lot of a local business, and stop.—
CA Weather Bot,
Sacbee.com,
6 Nov. 2025
Noun
-
Texas Tech started slow in Manhattan, but the dam eventually broke due to Tech’s havoc-wreaking defense.—
Stewart Mandel,
New York Times,
2 Nov. 2025
-
The real reason is to wreak as much havoc as humanly possible, or at least that’s what we’re given to believe from the way the hostess swans about while deftly manipulating dozens of puppet strings simultaneously.—
David Fear,
Rolling Stone,
29 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
Now, looking back, Spelling bemoans the embarrassment that kept her from speaking out sooner and wants to do her part to normalize the effects of eczema and dismantle the stigma.—
Erica Sloan,
SELF,
30 Oct. 2025
-
Ron Rosenbaum on the Icon and the Enigma To be caught in the spotlight of our pretensions is the worst kind of embarrassment there is.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
28 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
Her hair is often a massive tangle of black curls, her nails are expertly polished, her huge brown eyes peer out from spidery lashes, and her skin is cocoa-butter smooth.—
Stephanie Mansfield,
Vogue,
2 Nov. 2025
-
These tangles grow into 30–40 nm particles.—
Christopher McFadden,
Interesting Engineering,
2 Nov. 2025
Noun
-
On another note, this year’s astro-weather serves as the ultimate backdrop for creativity, chaos and unpredictable fun.—
Valerie Mesa,
PEOPLE,
31 Oct. 2025
-
Following a few months of absolute chaos, as Nuno Espirito Santo talked himself out of a job and was replaced by Ange Postecoglou — a man with a footballing ethos that could not have been more different — Dyche is very much needed, as a steady hand on the tiller.—
Chris Weatherspoon,
New York Times,
31 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
But each story adds to the uncertainty and unease in the air.—
Brian Stelter,
CNN Money,
31 Oct. 2025
-
The unease was amplified by the woman’s explanation that the prints appeared in an area of the apartment not easily accessed.—
Melissa Fleur Afshar,
MSNBC Newsweek,
31 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
The Eagles’ 21-17 Sunday loss to the Denver Broncos contained the perplexity that has in the past provoked fans to picket outside the NovaCare Complex’s gates.—
Brooks Kubena,
New York Times,
8 Oct. 2025
-
Watch with any attention, and one begins to see his tricks: the squinty perplexity, the restless hands, the worry lines deepened in concentration, then suddenly relaxed.—
Graham Hillard,
The Washington Examiner,
3 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
Ray’s most chaotic photograms—jumbles that push out of the frame or look like time bombs ready to explode—find echoes in his films, projected on the back walls, a show in themselves.—
Vince Aletti,
New Yorker,
3 Oct. 2025
-
In jumbles of old stones that, to me, are barely legible as the remains of buildings, Cocon López could see the entire timeline of old Aké and how later people interacted with and repurposed what came before.—
Lizzie Wade,
Smithsonian Magazine,
23 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Confusion.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/confusion. Accessed 6 Nov. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share