as in confusing
Related Words
Relevance
Dissimilar Words
as in baffling
to throw into a state of mental uncertainty
troops disoriented by the sudden change in battle plans
Synonyms & Similar Words
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 disorienting
Amy Nicholson, Los Angeles Times, 30 Jan. 2026
The effect is disorienting, akin to watching a tire and its hubcap rotate in seemingly opposite directions.
—Dash Lewis, Pitchfork, 29 Jan. 2026
Your hair may look thinner and less vibrant for a few months, which can be upsetting and disorienting.
—wendy Wisner, Parents, 29 Jan. 2026
And the ending, where Rose and her husband find themselves in the same room but separated in completely different dimensions, is a haunting and disorienting moment, one that finds a genuinely new angle on the series’ foundations.
—Alison Foreman, IndieWire, 23 Jan. 2026
Periods of major transition, between geopolitical orders, energy systems, or technology platforms, have always felt disorienting in real time.
—Chris Bradley, Fortune, 21 Jan. 2026
Smell’s deep links to memory and emotion make its absence especially disorienting, and once damaged, the system is notoriously difficult to restore.
—New Atlas, 12 Jan. 2026
Some uplift feels out of place when each day brings more disorienting tumult to our nation.
—Kevin Rennie, Hartford Courant, 10 Jan. 2026
Her oeuvre is all over the place in a literal sense too, set in a disorienting array of locations—upstate New York, Baja California, New Mexico, Minnesota.
—Rosa Lyster, Harpers Magazine, 30 Dec. 2025
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
Ever since the president danced with the Village People during last year’s inauguration weekend, the Trumpian right has been disorienting America with this kind of spectacle.
—Spencer Kornhaber, The Atlantic, 20 Jan. 2026
When asked about the overwhelming public reaction to his newfound fame, Williams admitted the experience has been disorienting.
—Kennedy French, Variety, 20 Jan. 2026
Not having friends and family close by has been disorienting.
—Jonas Siegel, New York Times, 14 Jan. 2026
Getting his bearings has been disorienting.
—Paul Sisson, San Diego Union-Tribune, 25 Dec. 2025
According to Adams, Koehler forced the woman from her upstairs bedroom down to downstairs, purposely disorienting her — the basis for the kidnapping charge he was also found guilty of.
—Grethel Aguila, Miami Herald, 3 Nov. 2025
Adjective
Zamiri splices the movie with colorful strobes that nod to her concert Jumbotrons while making the point that stardom is exhilarating and disorienting.
—Amy Nicholson, Los Angeles Times, 30 Jan. 2026
The effect is disorienting, akin to watching a tire and its hubcap rotate in seemingly opposite directions.
—Dash Lewis, Pitchfork, 29 Jan. 2026
Your hair may look thinner and less vibrant for a few months, which can be upsetting and disorienting.
—wendy Wisner, Parents, 29 Jan. 2026
And the ending, where Rose and her husband find themselves in the same room but separated in completely different dimensions, is a haunting and disorienting moment, one that finds a genuinely new angle on the series’ foundations.
—Alison Foreman, IndieWire, 23 Jan. 2026
Periods of major transition, between geopolitical orders, energy systems, or technology platforms, have always felt disorienting in real time.
—Chris Bradley, Fortune, 21 Jan. 2026
Smell’s deep links to memory and emotion make its absence especially disorienting, and once damaged, the system is notoriously difficult to restore.
—New Atlas, 12 Jan. 2026
Some uplift feels out of place when each day brings more disorienting tumult to our nation.
—Kevin Rennie, Hartford Courant, 10 Jan. 2026
Her oeuvre is all over the place in a literal sense too, set in a disorienting array of locations—upstate New York, Baja California, New Mexico, Minnesota.
—Rosa Lyster, Harpers Magazine, 30 Dec. 2025
Verb
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
Ever since the president danced with the Village People during last year’s inauguration weekend, the Trumpian right has been disorienting America with this kind of spectacle.
—Spencer Kornhaber, The Atlantic, 20 Jan. 2026
When asked about the overwhelming public reaction to his newfound fame, Williams admitted the experience has been disorienting.
—Kennedy French, Variety, 20 Jan. 2026
Not having friends and family close by has been disorienting.
—Jonas Siegel, New York Times, 14 Jan. 2026
Getting his bearings has been disorienting.
—Paul Sisson, San Diego Union-Tribune, 25 Dec. 2025
According to Adams, Koehler forced the woman from her upstairs bedroom down to downstairs, purposely disorienting her — the basis for the kidnapping charge he was also found guilty of.
—Grethel Aguila, Miami Herald, 3 Nov. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for disorienting
Adjective
-
As an avalanche and dead bodies ratchet up the suspense, Zach must lean on his mother’s wisdom to fight for his life while deciphering a confusing undercurrent of danger, violence and betrayal among the survivors.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
30 Jan. 2026
-
Yeah, this is pretty confusing on the surface.—
Jesse Newell,
New York Times,
30 Jan. 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
-
Hippocrates bases his explanation of epilepsy, that most perplexing of illnesses, on observation.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
28 Jan. 2026
-
That makes the decision to pull back on that ice time in the second period and again in overtime all the more perplexing.—
Vincent Z. Mercogliano,
New York Times,
27 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
And aren’t our real-life romantic complications bewildering enough?—
Stephanie Zacharek,
Time,
4 Sep. 2025
-
Its ginormous investments in higher-value, tech-heavy sectors from smartphones to autos to semiconductors to biotechnology are disrupting the global landscape at bewildering speed.—
William Pesek,
Forbes.com,
27 Aug. 2025
Adjective
-
The Eagles were a confounding defending champion throughout the regular season.—
Jeff Howe,
New York Times,
5 Jan. 2026
-
What is the most confounding and terrible, however, is Gretchen’s assertion that Slade, the anti-Viagra, doesn’t get involved with the women on his own accord, but only engages because the women always talk about him.—
Brian Moylan,
Vulture,
10 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
This Upper Paleolithic burial even became famous, though puzzling to researchers, because the unusual skeletal remains were even disfigured.—
Maria Mocerino,
Interesting Engineering,
31 Jan. 2026
-
But in recent years, Betelgeuse has thrown astronomers a few puzzling curveballs that have required serious detective work to solve.—
Ashley Strickland,
CNN Money,
20 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
Perimeter shooters went cold, finishing at the rim turned into a mystifying struggle, and the offense wasn’t able to capitalize after creating advantages behind the play by switch-hunting Doncic.—
Bennett Durando,
Denver Post,
21 Jan. 2026
-
Even allowing for the regular drama at the Bernabeu under all-powerful president Florentino Perez, the way Alonso was hired last May to lead a new era and now fired almost eight months later has been particularly chaotic and mystifying.—
Dermot Corrigan,
New York Times,
13 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
Sheinbaum has been incredibly vague about where her country stood, and this week has given roundabout and ambiguous answers to inquiries about the shipments, and dodged reporters questions in her morning press briefings.—
Michelle L. Price,
Fortune,
30 Jan. 2026
-
Sheinbaum has been incredibly vague about where her country stood, and this week has given roundabout and ambiguous answers to inquiries about the shipments, and dodged reporters' questions in her morning press briefings.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
30 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Disorienting.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/disorienting. Accessed 6 Feb. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
