conflate

verb

con·​flate kən-ˈflāt 

conflated; conflating; conflates

transitive verb

1

a

: to bring together : blend

Even more often, outsiders conflate the couple, and credit them with each other's characteristics.

—Alison Lurie

This unsettling book—conflating journalism, personal reportage, sociology and philosophical inquiry …

—Rosemary Mahoney

b

: confuse

Given its name, St. Thomas in Houston has on occasion been conflated with St. Thomas in Minnesota …

—David Barron

2

: to combine (things, such as two versions of a text) into a composite whole

For there are two substantive texts, the quarto published in 1597 and the folio in 1623. Modern editions usually conflate the pair to produce what the editor judges to be the best and most plausible hybrid.

—Bill Overton

Did you know?

We’re not just blowing hot air when we tell you that conflate can actually be traced back to the same roots as the English verb blow. Conflate comes from conflatus, a form of the Latin verb conflare (“to blow together, to fuse”), which was formed by combining the prefix com-, meaning “with” or “together,” with the Latin verb flare, meaning “to blow.” Blow’s ancestor, the Old English word blāwan, shares an ancestor with flare. When two or more things are conflated, they are figuratively “blown together” either by someone’s confusion or ingenuity. Other descendants of flare in English include flavor, inflate, and, well, flatulent.

Synonyms of conflate

• confuse

Examples of conflate in a Sentence

be careful not to conflate gossip with real news

the movie conflates documentary footage and dramatized reenactments so seamlessly and ingeniously that viewers may not know what is real and what is not

Recent Examples on the Web

Yet there are strong cultural messages that conflate relationship duration with relationship seriousness, stability, and even happiness, as well as individual fortitude. —Gabrielle Kassel, SELF, 29 Jan. 2026

Two different processes Forgiveness is also confusing, thanks to the way it is typically conflated with reconciliation. —Richard Balkin, The Conversation, 26 Jan. 2026

Stacy Hawthorne, board chair of the Consortium for School Networking, an association for school technology officials that signed the letter, is concerned that some are conflating social media, which can cause problems for children, with technology more broadly, which can help students learn. —Tyler Kingkade, NBC news, 23 Jan. 2026

With modern terminology, the anti-liberal playbook of the 1950s has returned, once more, by conflating progressive politics with communism. —Literary Hub, 21 Jan. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Latin conflatus, past participle of conflare to blow together, fuse, from com- + flare to blow — more at blow

First Known Use

1557, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Rhymes for conflate

• abate
• airfreight
• await
• baseplate
• berate
• birthdate
• birthrate
• bookplate
• borate
• breastplate
• bromate
• casemate

Podcast

Get Word of the Day delivered to your inbox!

Kids Definition

conflate

verb

con·​flate kən-ˈflāt 

conflated; conflating

1

: to bring together : blend

conflate history and fiction

2

: confuse sense 4