confused; confusing
1
: to disturb in mind or purpose : throw off
The directions she gave confused us.
2
a
: to make indistinct : blur
Stop confusing the issue.
b
: to fail to differentiate from an often similar or related other
confuse money with comfort
Do not confuse the words "flaunt" and "flout."
c
: to mix indiscriminately : jumble
Their arms, legs, and bodies were confused together, till they resembled … two serpents interlaced.—
Thomas Medwin
Thomas Medwin3
: to make embarrassed : abash
4
archaic
: to bring to ruin
Examples of confuse in a Sentence
The general was trying to confuse the enemy.
The new evidence only confused matters further.
You must be confusing me with someone else.
Recent Examples on the Web
That is important because a boxy robotaxi that can drive both ways may confuse pedestrians, cyclists or other drivers.
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Kurt Knutsson,
FOXNews.com,
3 July 2026
One of the biggest mistakes students make is confusing a loan approval with an affordability recommendation.
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Scott White,
Forbes.com,
2 July 2026
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Greg Jewett,
New York Times,
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See All Example Sentences for confuse
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Kurt Knutsson,
FOXNews.com,
3 July 2026
One of the biggest mistakes students make is confusing a loan approval with an affordability recommendation.
—
Scott White,
Forbes.com,
2 July 2026
Meta’s new cloud business — selling excess compute capacity to outside customers — is confusing on its face.
—
Liz Hoffman,
semafor.com,
2 July 2026
My leverage pathways try to provide accurate team approaches for procuring saves despite the multitude of confusing usage patterns throughout the league.
—
Greg Jewett,
New York Times,
2 July 2026
See All Example Sentences for confuse
Cite this Entry
“Confuse.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/confuse. Accessed 5 Jul. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
confuse
verb
con·fuse
kən-ˈfyüz 
confused; confusing
1
a
: to make mentally foggy or uncertain : perplex
the complicated problem confused us
b
: to cause to be embarrassed or upset
2
: to make unclear : blur
stop confusing the issue
3
: to make disordered : jumble
the cords were all confused together
4
: to fail to tell apart
teachers always confused the twins
confusedly
adverb
-ˈfyüz(-ə)d-lē
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