as in confusing
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as in baffling
to throw into a state of mental uncertainty
troops disoriented by the sudden change in battle plans
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Recent Examples of disorienting
Jake Lundberg, The Atlantic, 19 Feb. 2026
The buzzing underground networks are an important part of the modern, urban lifestyle in Canada’s coldest metropolises, and can be fascinating — and disorienting — for visitors.
—Vivian Song, CNN Money, 17 Feb. 2026
The feeling of watching the movie is entirely disorienting and completely hilarious.
—Fran Hoepfner, Vulture, 13 Feb. 2026
When such a place is hollowed out, the loss lands like a death — sudden, disorienting and strangely private, because grief for culture is often dismissed as indulgent.
—Helmut Paul, Chicago Tribune, 10 Feb. 2026
His interest lies with the plain, untitled youth, and with how this newly disorienting, newly dazzling world helped to shape his greatness.
—Kathryn Schulz, New Yorker, 9 Feb. 2026
The multiple locations—and, for the first time in Olympic history, dual cauldrons, in Milan and the mountain town of Cortina—could be a bit disorienting, especially with the Parade of Nations splitting up delegations of athletes.
—Judy Berman, Time, 7 Feb. 2026
For conservatives, that’s been especially disorienting and troubling.
—S.e. Cupp, New York Daily News, 4 Feb. 2026
The work is often difficult and disorienting, but the show’s aim is not to cow viewers into submission.
—Will Fenstermaker, Los Angeles Times, 3 Feb. 2026
Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 11 Feb. 2026
There is something disorienting about treading water as your date catalogues their personal disappointments, each one hitting like a splash from the diving board.
—Ana Gutierrez, Austin American Statesman, 10 Feb. 2026
Bentley felt a connection, having, in just his 40 years, grown up without the internet at home to being in this disorienting digital-smartphone-AI moment.
—Chris O'Falt, IndieWire, 6 Feb. 2026
Manuel also jangles this apparent order with the striking visual trope of disorienting disproportions of scale—figures appearing unexpectedly small or large in the course’s expanses.
—Richard Brody, New Yorker, 4 Feb. 2026
For North Texans already engaged in solar workforce training, the sudden policy reversal has been disorienting.
—Dallas Morning News, 3 Feb. 2026
The effect is both disorienting at times and impactful.
—Literary Hub, 29 Jan. 2026
Mehta’s first night proved to be disorienting on a continent with round-the-clock sunlight during the summer.
—Wendy Altschuler, Forbes.com, 28 Jan. 2026
Mom mode is disorienting on a visceral level.
—Beth Ann Mayer, Parents, 27 Jan. 2026
Adjective
Students didn’t turn to chatbots to warm their cold and consumed thoughts all at once, but the advent of AI tools sparked a disorienting reckoning for those of us reading their papers.
—Jake Lundberg, The Atlantic, 19 Feb. 2026
The buzzing underground networks are an important part of the modern, urban lifestyle in Canada’s coldest metropolises, and can be fascinating — and disorienting — for visitors.
—Vivian Song, CNN Money, 17 Feb. 2026
The feeling of watching the movie is entirely disorienting and completely hilarious.
—Fran Hoepfner, Vulture, 13 Feb. 2026
When such a place is hollowed out, the loss lands like a death — sudden, disorienting and strangely private, because grief for culture is often dismissed as indulgent.
—Helmut Paul, Chicago Tribune, 10 Feb. 2026
His interest lies with the plain, untitled youth, and with how this newly disorienting, newly dazzling world helped to shape his greatness.
—Kathryn Schulz, New Yorker, 9 Feb. 2026
The multiple locations—and, for the first time in Olympic history, dual cauldrons, in Milan and the mountain town of Cortina—could be a bit disorienting, especially with the Parade of Nations splitting up delegations of athletes.
—Judy Berman, Time, 7 Feb. 2026
For conservatives, that’s been especially disorienting and troubling.
—S.e. Cupp, New York Daily News, 4 Feb. 2026
The work is often difficult and disorienting, but the show’s aim is not to cow viewers into submission.
—Will Fenstermaker, Los Angeles Times, 3 Feb. 2026
Verb
Two therapists work in sync to create a continuous, enveloping rhythm that’s disorienting in the best way.
—Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 11 Feb. 2026
There is something disorienting about treading water as your date catalogues their personal disappointments, each one hitting like a splash from the diving board.
—Ana Gutierrez, Austin American Statesman, 10 Feb. 2026
Bentley felt a connection, having, in just his 40 years, grown up without the internet at home to being in this disorienting digital-smartphone-AI moment.
—Chris O'Falt, IndieWire, 6 Feb. 2026
Manuel also jangles this apparent order with the striking visual trope of disorienting disproportions of scale—figures appearing unexpectedly small or large in the course’s expanses.
—Richard Brody, New Yorker, 4 Feb. 2026
For North Texans already engaged in solar workforce training, the sudden policy reversal has been disorienting.
—Dallas Morning News, 3 Feb. 2026
The effect is both disorienting at times and impactful.
—Literary Hub, 29 Jan. 2026
Mehta’s first night proved to be disorienting on a continent with round-the-clock sunlight during the summer.
—Wendy Altschuler, Forbes.com, 28 Jan. 2026
Mom mode is disorienting on a visceral level.
—Beth Ann Mayer, Parents, 27 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for disorienting
Adjective
-
In a world with so many single-use items, knowing the most conscious way to dispose of them can be confusing.—
Julia James,
Dallas Morning News,
19 Feb. 2026
-
Now young people dress according to the fad du jour, or simply combine lots of different aesthetics into one oftentimes confusing melange.—
José Criales-Unzueta,
Vanity Fair,
19 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Georgia basketball’s matchup with Tennessee ended in baffling fashion Wednesday night.—
Olivia Sayer,
AJC.com,
29 Jan. 2026
-
The pilot of a private jet reportedly made an eerie discovery while flying thousands of feet over Rhode Island, marking the latest in unexplained encounters baffling both experts and civilians alike.—
Julia Bonavita,
FOXNews.com,
22 Dec. 2025
Adjective
-
The craze is perplexing to parents, but Bennett said the Hornets have embraced it to bring joy to young people.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
16 Feb. 2026
-
The oven was equally perplexing.—
Jason Fried,
The Atlantic,
7 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Even a principled, well-meaning actor like Claude could face bewildering ethical conflicts.—
Gideon Lewis-Kraus,
New Yorker,
9 Feb. 2026
-
And aren’t our real-life romantic complications bewildering enough?—
Stephanie Zacharek,
Time,
4 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
In 2021, one year into D’Amaro’s tenure and following COVID shutdowns, Disney did away with FastPass and introduced a confounding and very costly series of pay-to-skip passes, which require timing advanced booking of limited slots in these formerly free-to-enter shorter lines.—
Rebecca Alter,
Vulture,
5 Feb. 2026
-
The Eagles were a confounding defending champion throughout the regular season.—
Jeff Howe,
New York Times,
5 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Michigan's moose population has stagnated after being reintroduced in the 1980s, puzzling scientists.—
Free Press staff,
Freep.com,
19 Feb. 2026
-
Polestar’s willingness to deviate from the status quo of carmaking was commendable, but its strategies have been puzzling since the very beginning.—
Adam Ismail,
The Drive,
18 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
The outlandish and mystifying story received nearly wall-to-wall coverage, but the plane was never found.—
Kelly Lawler,
USA Today,
19 Feb. 2026
-
Kansas Men’s Basketball (@KUHoops) January 31, 2026 Then Peterson played just three minutes in the second half before heading to the bench, limited by the return of nagging injuries that have sidelined him for a good portion of his mystifying rookie season.—
Brendan Marks,
New York Times,
1 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
There is, at present, some evidence for dark energy weakening over time, although the results from the DESI collaboration, which provide the strongest evidence to date for such a scenario, are highly ambiguous.—
Big Think,
Big Think,
20 Feb. 2026
-
But the film’s tone and ending feel more ambiguous, perhaps bittersweet.—
Patrick Brzeski,
HollywoodReporter,
19 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Disorienting.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/disorienting. Accessed 27 Feb. 2026.
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