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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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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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 One had carried out a survey of hundreds of people to get their opinions, which only added to the confusion. — Kit Chellel, Fortune, 5 Oct. 2026 The first attempt to start Sunday’s Bahrain Grand Prix in Malaysia ended in confusion as cars crawled around the Sepang track at slow speeds or stopped entirely as drivers and teams tried to restart their systems. — ABC News, 4 Oct. 2026 This is the element that likely caused more confusion, due the oddity of the Tunisia goalkeeper not being in his own half at the time of the incident. — Colin Millar, New York Times, 4 Oct. 2026 The Fever bench received another technical foul amid the confusion. — Jackson Thompson Outkick, FOXNews.com, 3 Oct. 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 most widespread fog with the lowest visibilities will be located across Scotland, Hoke, Cumberland, Sampson, Wayne, and Wilson counties.
    — NC Weather Bot, Charlotte Observer, 2 Oct. 2026
  • The fog rises from Mount Tamalpais like a spirit, slowly billowing over spears of feathery redwoods and fluffs of fragrant bay laurels.
    — Devorah Lauter, ARTnews.com, 30 Sep. 2026
Definition of fog
Noun
  • But until then, Kyiv needs to get ahead of Moscow and stop its ability to wreak aerial havoc.
    — Dmytro Kuleba, Foreign Affairs, 30 Sep. 2026
  • Thousands sheltered on Monday in evacuation centres in the Thai capital, parts of it still flooded after havoc brought by intense weekend rain, while swelling reservoirs in an eastern province triggered orders for more to leave their homes.
    — Reuters, NBC news, 28 Sep. 2026
Definition of havoc
Noun
  • Mountbatten-Windsor’s relationship with Epstein has been a source of embarrassment to the royal family for more than a decade and forced him to give up royal duties in 2019.
    — Danica Kirka, Los Angeles Times, 5 Oct. 2026
  • Mountbatten-Windsor's relationship with Epstein has been a source of embarrassment to the royal family for more than a decade and forced him to give up royal duties in 2019.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 5 Oct. 2026
Definition of embarrassment
Noun
  • The brain’s surface has ridges and valleys, and CTE tangles are found in the depths of those valleys, called the cortical sulci, and surround blood vessels.
    — Alexandra Pattillo, Scientific American, 23 Sep. 2026
  • Brushing controls shedding, removes debris and prevents tangles.
    — Ryan Brennan, Kansas City Star, 21 Sep. 2026
Definition of tangle
Noun
  • Together, these architectural and symbolic elements mediate between order and chaos, memory and transformation.
    — Jacqueline Ortoleva, Scientific American, 3 Oct. 2026
  • Barra has since navigated a global pandemic, tariffs and supply-chain chaos, and the rise of AI as an unstoppable and industry-shaking force.
    — Alyson Shontell, Fortune, 2 Oct. 2026
Definition of chaos
Noun
  • When presented together and thought juxtapositionally, the works launch visitors onto an emotional pendulum that pivots from exhilaration to unease and distress.
    — Tina M. Campt, Artforum, 1 Oct. 2026
  • The survey quantifies the sense of unease and frustration many customers of these new-wave insurers feel.
    — Ron Hurtibise, Sun Sentinel, 25 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 7 Oct. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on confusion

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about confusion

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