1
as in to confuse
to throw into a state of mental uncertainty
we were confounded by the player's remote control, which wasn't at all user-friendly
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to embarrass
to throw into a state of self-conscious distress
his renewed popularity has confounded the critics who said his singing career was dead
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in to conflate
to fail to differentiate (a thing) from something similar or related
I think you've confounded astrology with astronomy
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in to refute
to prove to be false
new discoveries that confound much of what archaeologists thought they knew about the Mayan civilization
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 confound
Trading your best player and letting another bolt to Boston … while signing a first baseman to a $60 million contract is confounding, but crucial to keep Crane’s promise.
Admirable but sticky.
—
Alex Kirshner, The Athletic, 23 Feb. 2025
That, however, would likely be confounded by a dramatic change to the men’s schedule.
—Luke Cyphers, Sportico.com, 23 Feb. 2025
Strands, our word search puzzle game, has confounded and enthralled solvers.
—New York Times Games, New York Times, 20 Feb. 2025
The story of Zolgensma lays bare a confounding reality about modern drug development, in which revolutionary new treatments are becoming available only to be priced out of reach for many.
—Robin Fields, CNN, 17 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for confound
Alex Kirshner, The Athletic, 23 Feb. 2025
That, however, would likely be confounded by a dramatic change to the men’s schedule.
—Luke Cyphers, Sportico.com, 23 Feb. 2025
Strands, our word search puzzle game, has confounded and enthralled solvers.
—New York Times Games, New York Times, 20 Feb. 2025
The story of Zolgensma lays bare a confounding reality about modern drug development, in which revolutionary new treatments are becoming available only to be priced out of reach for many.
—Robin Fields, CNN, 17 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for confound
Recent Examples of Synonyms for confound
Verb
-
Not to be confused with New Zealand musical comedy duo Flight of the Conchords.—
Erik Kain,
Forbes,
2 Mar. 2025
-
Along those lines, a settlement should not be confused with a collective bargaining agreement, which pro teams and unionized employees extinguish or mollify a broader range of potential claims.—
Michael McCann,
Sportico.com,
28 Feb. 2025
Verb
-
And the All-Star game embarrassed everyone who has ever picked up a basketball.—
Troy Renck,
The Denver Post,
1 Mar. 2025
-
Callers are encouraged to share details that range from embarrassing to criminal.—
Oline H. Cogdill,
Sun Sentinel,
26 Feb. 2025
Verb
-
Writer/director Isaiah Saxon, who made his directorial debut with the feature, took to X to refute assumptions that AI was involved.—
Samantha Bergeson,
IndieWire,
28 Feb. 2025
-
Two recent reports may refute the view, fueled by recent accidents, that commercial aviation has somehow become less safe.—
Ted Reed,
Forbes,
26 Feb. 2025
Verb
-
City Council Speaker Adrienne Adams, a Queens Democrat who has recently stepped up her criticism of the mayor, was perplexed by his refusal to slam Trump’s recent actions.—
Chris Sommerfeldt,
New York Daily News,
21 Jan. 2025
-
Several drones were reportedly spotted in the skies above a Connecticut suburb Thursday night, adding to recent sightings that have perplexed residents and raised questions about possible national security and public safety concerns.—
Louis Casiano,
Fox News,
13 Dec. 2024
Verb
-
According to the appeal, Sergio Correa is seeking for his conviction to be overturned and a new trial.—
Justin Muszynski,
Hartford Courant,
6 Mar. 2025
-
Utley was suspended two games by MLB, but the suspension was overturned.—
Russel Honoré,
Newsweek,
6 Mar. 2025
Verb
-
Unenlightened of the brownie’s incredible taste, I was bewildered by the perfect combination of these three types of chocolate.—
Mia Leimkuhler,
New York Times,
22 Feb. 2025
-
The appeal bewilders attorneys for the 300,000 plaintiffs who each missed out on $3,000 when DeWine cut off the benefits in June 2021 — 10 weeks before they were set to expire.—
Sam Allard,
Axios,
21 Feb. 2025
Verb
-
But Dickens claims the opposite, and argues that the research purporting to discredit spelling has fallen out of date.—
Daniel Engber,
The Atlantic,
3 Mar. 2025
-
Incident brought ‘discredit to the Sheriff’s Office’ Sgt.—
Ishani Desai,
Sacramento Bee,
1 Mar. 2025
Verb
-
Over the past few months, Bob Dylan has been baffling fans with surreal posts on his official social media platforms.—
Andy Greene,
Rolling Stone,
27 Feb. 2025
-
That reluctance baffles Pérez and her colleague, Deputy Public Defender Amy Tao.—
CalMatters,
The Mercury News,
27 Feb. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Confound.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/confound. Accessed 12 Mar. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share