as in confused
to throw into a state of mental uncertainty
troops disoriented by the sudden change in battle plans
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Recent Examples of disoriented
Officials said the animal likely became disoriented while attempting to move south and out of San Francisco.
—
Moná Thomas, PEOPLE, 27 Jan. 2026
Ya Tseen’s Stand on My Shoulders sounds like waking up disoriented in someone else’s dream—voices drift in and out, shifting between languages, and the psych-rock haze never quite resolves into clarity.
—Petala Ironcloud, Pitchfork, 20 Jan. 2026
Ultimately, Yu made the decision to leave the army, which left him feeling disoriented and exiled.
—Ernestine Siu, CNBC, 15 Jan. 2026
The allegation centers on a video interview, circulated widely online, in which an unidentified Venezuelan guard describes an overwhelming force that left him and others bleeding, disoriented, and unable to move.
—Kaif Shaikh, Interesting Engineering, 15 Jan. 2026
His lawyer told ProPublica that Zapata Rivera was disoriented after regaining consciousness; the lawsuit says he was denied medical attention.
—Nicole Foy, ProPublica, 13 Jan. 2026
The family believes Dan experienced a possible stroke or medical event that left him confused and disoriented before his disappearance.
—Sarah Dahlberg, NBC news, 6 Jan. 2026
For its part, Singapore has been aggressively retrofitted according to the whims of capital—its coastline expanded, its graveyards exhumed and paved over, its landmarks destroyed—leaving the populace disoriented.
—Dan Piepenbring, Harpers Magazine, 30 Dec. 2025
If left outdoors, pets can freeze, become disoriented, lost, stolen, injured or killed.
—Alexis Simmerman, Austin American Statesman, 16 Dec. 2025
Moná Thomas, PEOPLE, 27 Jan. 2026
Ya Tseen’s Stand on My Shoulders sounds like waking up disoriented in someone else’s dream—voices drift in and out, shifting between languages, and the psych-rock haze never quite resolves into clarity.
—Petala Ironcloud, Pitchfork, 20 Jan. 2026
Ultimately, Yu made the decision to leave the army, which left him feeling disoriented and exiled.
—Ernestine Siu, CNBC, 15 Jan. 2026
The allegation centers on a video interview, circulated widely online, in which an unidentified Venezuelan guard describes an overwhelming force that left him and others bleeding, disoriented, and unable to move.
—Kaif Shaikh, Interesting Engineering, 15 Jan. 2026
His lawyer told ProPublica that Zapata Rivera was disoriented after regaining consciousness; the lawsuit says he was denied medical attention.
—Nicole Foy, ProPublica, 13 Jan. 2026
The family believes Dan experienced a possible stroke or medical event that left him confused and disoriented before his disappearance.
—Sarah Dahlberg, NBC news, 6 Jan. 2026
For its part, Singapore has been aggressively retrofitted according to the whims of capital—its coastline expanded, its graveyards exhumed and paved over, its landmarks destroyed—leaving the populace disoriented.
—Dan Piepenbring, Harpers Magazine, 30 Dec. 2025
If left outdoors, pets can freeze, become disoriented, lost, stolen, injured or killed.
—Alexis Simmerman, Austin American Statesman, 16 Dec. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for disoriented
Verb
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The show is Finding Her Edge, a new ice skating drama that should not be confused with Spinning Out, another Netflix ice skating drama that was cancelled after one season.—
Paul Tassi,
Forbes.com,
26 Jan. 2026
-
Judicial warrants should not be confused with administrative warrants, which are signed by immigration officers.—
Wyatte Grantham-Philips,
Chicago Tribune,
26 Jan. 2026
Verb
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But unlike his Sophoclean namesake, Orestes is bewildered by this escalation and refuses.—
Rachel Vorona Cote,
The Atlantic,
5 Jan. 2026
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In April, the president was among those bewildered by his fall.—
Ryan Morik,
FOXNews.com,
27 Nov. 2025
Verb
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Although puzzled, Aisha answered honestly.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
7 Jan. 2026
-
Like his wife, Moore was puzzled when their friend didn’t show up to eat dinner.—
Julian Roberts-Grmela,
New York Daily News,
5 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Later novels routinely took inspiration from family members or former or current lovers; the 1980 novel that baffled Frank Kermode is a dreamlike fable about a man guiltily trying to have an extramarital affair.—
Christopher Tayler,
Harpers Magazine,
27 Jan. 2026
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Instead, Chan's team taught Liu how to juggle, which baffled her.—
Daysia Tolentino,
Entertainment Weekly,
26 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Gargantuan boulders, twisted spiky trees, and vibrant sunset colors form an arid landscape that has perplexed and inspired creative titans like Jim Morrison and Gram Parsons for years.—
Nicole Kliest,
Vogue,
14 Jan. 2026
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Anyone who abandoned this art would be at risk of experiencing even their own culture as a stranger would, perplexed by the symbols and signs swirling about them.—
Jason Blakely,
Harpers Magazine,
30 Dec. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Disoriented.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/disoriented. Accessed 1 Feb. 2026.
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