as in confusing
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in bewildering
to throw into a state of mental uncertainty
troops disoriented by the sudden change in battle plans
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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Recent Examples of disorienting
Siddhant Adlakha, Variety, 18 Mar. 2025
The plot might seem repetitive, going back and forth between Violet trying to follow the anonymous rules and worming her way out of them to seek help (only to be outsmarted), but the movie’s exciting, stage-like formal flourishes and its disorienting lensing keep things moving smoothly.
—Siddhant Adlakha, Variety, 10 Mar. 2025
Having your home taken apart to build someone else’s sounds nothing short of disorienting.
—H.m.a. Leow, JSTOR Daily, 3 Mar. 2025
Defying professional orthodoxies about keeping widescreen framings wide and widescreen editing simple, Ray relies copiously on closeups, quick montages, and distorting and disorienting diagonal angles.
—Richard Brody, The New Yorker, 26 Feb. 2025
Observing the politics, posturing, and commentary in this year’s first few weeks has been disorienting for many.
—The Sorenson Impact Institute, Forbes, 24 Feb. 2025
Don’t be in the shot and make sure the background is not distracting or casting disorienting shadows.
—Hank Sanders, New York Times, 21 Feb. 2025
The genre revels in spatially disorienting the player.
—Lewis Gordon, New York Times, 20 Feb. 2025
Its story, punctuated by the sensation of war as a disorienting constant, first took shape in 2019, only for the Second Nagorno-Karabakh War to shape it further the following year — eventually leading to the displacement of over a hundred thousand Armenians in 2023.
—Siddhant Adlakha, Variety, 14 Feb. 2025
Verb
Interviews with investigators and other parties invested in these cases use shifting, disorienting focus to disguise people’s physical details.
—Siddhant Adlakha, Variety, 18 Mar. 2025
The plot might seem repetitive, going back and forth between Violet trying to follow the anonymous rules and worming her way out of them to seek help (only to be outsmarted), but the movie’s exciting, stage-like formal flourishes and its disorienting lensing keep things moving smoothly.
—Siddhant Adlakha, Variety, 10 Mar. 2025
Having your home taken apart to build someone else’s sounds nothing short of disorienting.
—H.m.a. Leow, JSTOR Daily, 3 Mar. 2025
Defying professional orthodoxies about keeping widescreen framings wide and widescreen editing simple, Ray relies copiously on closeups, quick montages, and distorting and disorienting diagonal angles.
—Richard Brody, The New Yorker, 26 Feb. 2025
Observing the politics, posturing, and commentary in this year’s first few weeks has been disorienting for many.
—The Sorenson Impact Institute, Forbes, 24 Feb. 2025
Don’t be in the shot and make sure the background is not distracting or casting disorienting shadows.
—Hank Sanders, New York Times, 21 Feb. 2025
The genre revels in spatially disorienting the player.
—Lewis Gordon, New York Times, 20 Feb. 2025
Its story, punctuated by the sensation of war as a disorienting constant, first took shape in 2019, only for the Second Nagorno-Karabakh War to shape it further the following year — eventually leading to the displacement of over a hundred thousand Armenians in 2023.
—Siddhant Adlakha, Variety, 14 Feb. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for disorienting
Adjective
-
His insight and unconventional approach to understanding human behavior lead him and the team on a series of intense, unexpected journeys to solve illogical puzzles and perplexing mysteries.—
Nellie Andreeva,
Deadline,
9 May 2025
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For economists, America’s organ shortage is a perplexing public health problem.—
Steven Levitt,
Boston Herald,
6 May 2025
Verb
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Researchers are particularly focused on unraveling the puzzling interplay between gas content, magma pressure and lava flow dynamics.—
Dan Perry,
Newsweek,
3 Jan. 2025
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Almost two years into his ordeal, Gould learned of an initiative at the National Institutes of Health that focuses on solving the country’s most puzzling medical cases.—
Jason Liebowitz,
The Atlantic,
2 Jan. 2025
Adjective
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Trader Joe’s is one of the greatest success stories in American grocery stores—the stuff of business-school case studies and rapturous (and, honestly, sometimes baffling) consumer behavior.—
Ellen Cushing,
The Atlantic,
30 Apr. 2025
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Though there were some baffling mistakes leading to quality Kings’ chances, especially in Los Angeles, the goalies haven’t exactly been up to the task either.—
Eric Stephens,
New York Times,
28 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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Some of them are earnestly engaged in helping parents navigate a bewildering time of life.—
Hillary Kelly,
The Atlantic,
5 May 2025
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Ireland is not our enemy, even if our president abuses it with his bewildering animus to free nations.—
Kevin Rennie,
Hartford Courant,
29 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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While critical thinking is invaluable, the tendency to fixate on ambiguous data points—many of which pertain to uncontrollable external factors—can lead to unnecessary stress.—
Davide Sartini,
Forbes.com,
1 May 2025
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The two were previously involved in a morally ambiguous mission gone wrong, which led to Vincent murdering an undercover cop.—
Skyler Trepel,
People.com,
26 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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To Vulcan, avoiding unknowable businesses isn’t being conservative.—
Jim Osman,
Forbes.com,
15 Apr. 2025
-
At the heart of every biography, though, lies a lacuna—something unknowable, no matter how candid or heavily documented the subject, no matter how familiar or diligent the biographer.—
Casey Cep,
New Yorker,
14 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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Given the incomprehensible thought of an empty beach on the island of Hawaii (and nationwide), surely the movie's effect on viewers was impactful.—
Skyler Caruso,
People.com,
16 May 2025
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Honestly, whoever designed this mind-numbing, incomprehensible plan should be banished to an island where they will hopefully be devoured by wildlife.—
Inga,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
12 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Disorienting.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/disorienting. Accessed 22 May. 2025.
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