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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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

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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 Expect some confusion and issues on defense to start the season. — David Troy Outkick, FOXNews.com, 6 Sep. 2026 The confusion could muddy the narrative of having the best models in the market that OpenAI would no doubt like to present ahead of a possible 2027 IPO. — Emily Forlini, Fortune, 5 Sep. 2026 The Missouri Supreme Court, however, said the state’s concerns about confusion, expense, and practical difficulties did not change the legal status of HB 1. — Rena Rowe, The Washington Examiner, 5 Sep. 2026 Early on Thursday morning technical researcher Eric Lu sparked worldwide excitement and confusion by posting a sequence of 130 digits on X (formerly Twitter). — Peter Hall, Scientific American, 4 Sep. 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
  • Passive nets retain practical advantage Passive fog nets have operated in the same desert for years without using electricity.
    — Atharva Gosavi, Interesting Engineering, 4 Sep. 2026
  • The Great Smoky Mountains that trail up the border between Tennessee and North Carolina earned their name from the natural, gauzy fog that often drapes across the region.
    — Megan Wahn, Condé Nast Traveler, 3 Sep. 2026
Definition of fog
Noun
  • Although not a direct hit, Lala dumped nearly 3 feet of rain on the Big Island, bringing widespread havoc.
    — Doyle Rice, USA Today, 1 Sep. 2026
  • In the movie, a group of teens accidentally release a bunch of monsters from Stine’s book collection, creating complete havoc and plenty of great family-friendly frights.
    — Keith Langston, PEOPLE, 28 Aug. 2026
Definition of havoc
Noun
  • Just not being an embarrassment will go a long way for Giants fans.
    — Adam Coleman, New York Times, 6 Sep. 2026
  • Meanwhile, a major reboot out of Canton as Hall of Fame reduces its voting body from 50 to 25 in wake of last year’s embarrassment when all-time Super Bowl-winning coach Bill Belichick stunningly did not get in on first ballot.
    — Greg Cote September 6, Miami Herald, 6 Sep. 2026
Definition of embarrassment
Noun
  • The Bell Jar Tracing the tangle of a new job in New York City and the simultaneous onrush of clinical depression, The Bell Jar brings the interior world of central character Esther Greenwood into stunning relief.
    — Caroline Rogers, Southern Living, 22 Aug. 2026
  • 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
Definition of tangle
Noun
  • Chaos fatigue isn’t the only side dish being served with the recent rash of court orders; chaos consequences appear to be on a platter as well.
    — Dana O’Neil, CNN Money, 4 Sep. 2026
  • The court, in the unanimous decision, placed the blame for the chaos directly at Hoskins.
    — Kacen Bayless, Kansas City Star, 4 Sep. 2026
Definition of chaos
Noun
  • Her government was also the first led by a party with neo-fascist roots, and European allies and financial markets viewed her with unease.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 3 Sep. 2026
  • The rise in bond yields is a global phenomenon, rooted in investors’ unease over unchecked government spending and intensified by bets that central banks may keep interest rates higher for longer.
    — John Towfighi, CNN Money, 3 Sep. 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

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Cite this Entry

“Confusion.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/confusion. Accessed 8 Sep. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on confusion

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about confusion

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