confusion

noun

kən-ˈfyü-zhən How to pronounce confusion (audio)
Definition of confusionnext
1
as in fog
a state of mental uncertainty the farmer's driving directions to the fairground just left us in total confusion

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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

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in embarrassment
the emotional state of being made self-consciously uncomfortable thrown into speechless confusion by the wild accusations

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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 The confusion about Marte’s status, however, continued to loom large over the club. — Johnny Flores Jr, New York Times, 21 Aug. 2026 With a new trilogy playing out in the Evil Dead franchise, Bruce Campbell is eliminating any confusion about his future as Ash. — Glenn Garner, Deadline, 21 Aug. 2026 The price of one bitcoin creates a second confusion called unit bias. — Dave Birnbaum, Forbes.com, 21 Aug. 2026 For me, as a child grappling with loss, my imagination became my escape from a world that was riddled with confusion and injustice. — Literary Hub, 21 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for confusion
Recent Examples of Synonyms for confusion
  1. fog
  2. havoc
  3. embarrassment
  4. tangle
  5. chaos
  6. unease
  7. perplexity
  8. jumble
Noun
  • The fog should gradually lift and dissipate around 9 am EDT this morning.
    — NC Weather Bot, Charlotte Observer, 22 Aug. 2026
  • The marine layer — the region’s natural air conditioning — is expected to remain thick through the weekend, with the possibility of coastal fog and drizzle.
    — Rick Hurd, Mercury News, 21 Aug. 2026
Definition of fog
Noun
  • The wingers were the stand-out performers during the pre-season trip to Asia, with Antoine Semenyo in particular — but also Savinho — causing havoc with their dribbling.
    — Sam Lee, New York Times, 19 Aug. 2026
  • The havoc a hacker wreaks using their attack could be catastrophic.
    — Frank Landymore, Futurism, 13 Aug. 2026
Definition of havoc
Noun
  • My guess is the players might work a little harder to entertain the fans instead of turning what should have been a showcase event into the embarrassment that was this year’s All-Star Weekend.
    — Voice of the People, New York Daily News, 23 Aug. 2026
  • And with many of these videos racking up millions of views, the ensuing embarrassment for the unwitting subjects can be palpable.
    — David Mack, CNN Money, 20 Aug. 2026
Definition of embarrassment
Noun
  • Penske has designed tracks through city blocks, but never through both federal and municipal grounds with a tangle of buildings that include the Department of Justice, the Federal Trade Commission and the National Archives.
    — Adam Kilgore, New York Times, 20 Aug. 2026
  • The diminutive Taiwanese market-slash-lunch counter Taiwan Best Mart’s cold sesame noodles ($13) are a refreshing tangle of cucumbers, carrots, cilantro, scallions, sesame seeds, flour noodles and the market’s house sesame sauce.
    — Anne Ewbank, Sacbee.com, 19 Aug. 2026
Definition of tangle
Noun
  • The footage mixes high-speed chases and explosive action with comedic beats, framing a story built around chaos, mismatched heroism and rising stakes as the mission unfolds.
    — Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 21 Aug. 2026
  • Although this puts a little bit of the chaos on hold, there will now be a further influx of lawsuits filed in state court, who have been presenting different arguments in their filings.
    — Trey Wallace OutKick, FOXNews.com, 21 Aug. 2026
Definition of chaos
Noun
  • But there’s more than gags here; the episode also delves into the gang’s unease with their changing lives, as well as the reservations everyone but Ted seems to have about his engagement to Stella (Sarah Chalke).
    — Erin Strecker, Entertainment Weekly, 22 Aug. 2026
  • But Susser said the unease might also reflect that society hasn’t quite established clear norms around AI use.
    — Harmeet Kaur, CNN Money, 20 Aug. 2026
Definition of unease
Noun
  • The first weeks were a roller coaster of pleasure and perplexity.
    — Tim Parks, New Yorker, 11 Apr. 2026
  • The fashion world, for the most part, reacted with perplexity.
    — Rachel Syme, New Yorker, 16 Mar. 2026
Definition of perplexity
Noun
  • Arches and natural bridges sweep like buttresses from jumbles of rock, giving this landscape a mystical, cathedral-like quality.
    — Madison Chapman, Outside, 25 Mar. 2026
  • Macaroons are chewy jumbles of coconut bound together with egg whites and sweetened condensed milk.
    — Lynda Balslev, Mercury News, 10 Feb. 2026
Definition of jumble

Browse Nearby Words

confusing
confusion
confusions
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Cite this Entry

“Confusion.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/confusion. Accessed 25 Aug. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on confusion

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about confusion

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