1
as in cursed
deserving of one's condemnation or displeasure
that confounded dog chewed up my shoe
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in perplexed
faced with difficulty or uncertainty about what to say, think, or do
the sudden burden of familial responsibility has left him anxious and confounded
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in bewildered
suffering from mental confusion
since their house is old and impressive-looking, they are frequently imposed upon by confounded tourists
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in baffled
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
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in embarrassed
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 confused
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 refuted
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
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Recent Examples of confounded
Julia Poe,
Chicago Tribune,
30 Jan. 2026
The Vikings defense hounded Maye, a veteran unit that ranked second in takeaways last year and confounded veteran quarterbacks with its exotic pressure packages.
—
Andrew Callahan,
Boston Herald,
16 Aug. 2025
The displeasure of it gave way to absurdity, out of which emerged a mutual, confounded glee.
—
Kent Russell,
Harper's Magazine,
15 Sep. 2020
In Europe itself, Greece has so far confounded predictions by avoiding the kind of mass outbreaks that have claimed tens of thousands of lives in Italy, France, and Britain.
—
Ned Temko,
The Christian Science Monitor,
6 May 2020
And with wild swings on Tuesday, the markets proved those predictions correct, a marker of how confounded investors appear as the covid-19 economic crisis takes a fuller form.
—
Jacob Bogage,
BostonGlobe.com,
31 Mar. 2020
The Germans are no less confounded than the Democrats.
—
Susan B. Glasser,
The New Yorker,
14 June 2019
Learn how to work the confounded thing at free Android smartphone workshops being held in South Florida, sponsored by the American Association of Retired Persons.
—
Doreen Christensen,
Sun-Sentinel.com,
9 Mar. 2018
For decades, recovery stories like this confounded researchers, who characterized autism as a lifelong condition.
—
Brendan Borrell,
Slate Magazine,
22 Sep. 2017
Melanie Goodfellow,
Deadline,
22 June 2026
Still, if some international fans are confounded by or disappointed with American politics, the feeling isn’t shared by the leaders of FIFA.
—
Andre Mouchard,
Oc Register,
8 June 2026
Either way, experts are confounded.
—
The New York Times News Service Syndicate,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
2 June 2026
Now Becerra tops them all, according to the most recent opinion polls, emerging as a surprise front-runner in a race that has confounded voters and political experts alike.
—
Dakota Smith,
Los Angeles Times,
1 June 2026
Florida state senators are following Washington’s lead in backing research to solve one of the great mysteries of the universe, one that has confounded great thinkers through time.
—
Pat Beall,
Sun Sentinel,
29 May 2026
In both novels, young people are trying to figure out how life works, confounded by the arbitrariness of what is presented to them as natural.
—
James Wood,
New Yorker,
4 May 2026
Statewide ballot questions that have confounded voters of both parties.
—
Kacen Bayless,
Kansas City Star,
3 May 2026
The police killing of Manuel Teran only confounded a very tense situation in Atlanta.
—
Zachary Bynum,
CBS News,
23 Apr. 2026
Adjective
Dosunmu operated at times like a one-man wrecking crew, forcing his way downhill in the half court and cracking open the Heat’s confounded defense in the flow of transition.
—
Julia Poe,
Chicago Tribune,
30 Jan. 2026
The Vikings defense hounded Maye, a veteran unit that ranked second in takeaways last year and confounded veteran quarterbacks with its exotic pressure packages.
—
Andrew Callahan,
Boston Herald,
16 Aug. 2025
The displeasure of it gave way to absurdity, out of which emerged a mutual, confounded glee.
—
Kent Russell,
Harper's Magazine,
15 Sep. 2020
In Europe itself, Greece has so far confounded predictions by avoiding the kind of mass outbreaks that have claimed tens of thousands of lives in Italy, France, and Britain.
—
Ned Temko,
The Christian Science Monitor,
6 May 2020
And with wild swings on Tuesday, the markets proved those predictions correct, a marker of how confounded investors appear as the covid-19 economic crisis takes a fuller form.
—
Jacob Bogage,
BostonGlobe.com,
31 Mar. 2020
The Germans are no less confounded than the Democrats.
—
Susan B. Glasser,
The New Yorker,
14 June 2019
Learn how to work the confounded thing at free Android smartphone workshops being held in South Florida, sponsored by the American Association of Retired Persons.
—
Doreen Christensen,
Sun-Sentinel.com,
9 Mar. 2018
For decades, recovery stories like this confounded researchers, who characterized autism as a lifelong condition.
—
Brendan Borrell,
Slate Magazine,
22 Sep. 2017
Verb
Tapping into the sporting zeitgeist, the slapstick animation, sees Daffy Duck confounded when Elmer Fudd fails to turn up for duck hunting season.
—
Melanie Goodfellow,
Deadline,
22 June 2026
Still, if some international fans are confounded by or disappointed with American politics, the feeling isn’t shared by the leaders of FIFA.
—
Andre Mouchard,
Oc Register,
8 June 2026
Either way, experts are confounded.
—
The New York Times News Service Syndicate,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
2 June 2026
Now Becerra tops them all, according to the most recent opinion polls, emerging as a surprise front-runner in a race that has confounded voters and political experts alike.
—
Dakota Smith,
Los Angeles Times,
1 June 2026
Florida state senators are following Washington’s lead in backing research to solve one of the great mysteries of the universe, one that has confounded great thinkers through time.
—
Pat Beall,
Sun Sentinel,
29 May 2026
In both novels, young people are trying to figure out how life works, confounded by the arbitrariness of what is presented to them as natural.
—
James Wood,
New Yorker,
4 May 2026
Statewide ballot questions that have confounded voters of both parties.
—
Kacen Bayless,
Kansas City Star,
3 May 2026
The police killing of Manuel Teran only confounded a very tense situation in Atlanta.
—
Zachary Bynum,
CBS News,
23 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for confounded
Adjective
-
The two answer a royal summons to investigate a cursed palace whose secrets even the King cannot speak of openly.
-
For years, a static skeletal figure sat atop a cursed pile of gold, but now, his story is coming to life thanks to the latest in Audio-Animatronic technology.
Adjective
-
At the time, 95% of the folks working at our theater were either perplexed or disdainful of this project.
-
Olivia stops at an exhibit depicting two Minions, James and Henry (all the Minions are voiced by Coffin), and is perplexed when no one present appears to have heard of them, at least by name.
Adjective
-
Fido was fine, if a little bewildered, and in February 1973, the board lifted its book bans.
-
At the risk of sounding less like a columnist and more like a bewildered bystander … what the heck happened?
Verb
-
His mother, Ahmani Hicks, describes him as a kid who loved sports, and she's baffled as to why her son was targeted.
-
Known as the Galactic Center Excess, a spherical gamma-ray glow extending out for thousands of light-years from the core of our galaxy, this high-energy light has baffled researchers for over a decade.
Verb
-
At one point, the narrator, embarrassed by his own act of cruelty, gives a sobbing woman all his money and then leaves her alone in a hotel room.
-
The Chicago White Sox, a team many left for dead at the start of the year, embarrassed the Kansas City Royals Friday night, 22-1.
Verb
-
Narcissism should never be confused with the healthy form of philautia, a unique Greek philosophy of self-love.
-
One workshop is a Mindful Archery class, not to be confused with her other course Meditative Archery, which involves Jungian journaling; and there’s a one-on-one archery session with spiritual guidance.
Verb
-
Though then-Bucks coach Doc Rivers refuted that report, Antetokounmpo acknowledged that the offseason was a time when temptation could be very real for him.
-
After her daughter's murder, Franchetti began a grassroots movement to rewrite family court law, but the legislation was held up by legal language that might have greenlighted hearsay allegations or the potential for false claims that couldn't be refuted.
Adjective
-
There’s gonna be some comedy at the beginning and then there’s gonna be freaking reggaeton!
-
That itself should be a freaking movie.
Cite this Entry
“Confounded.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/confounded. Accessed 5 Jul. 2026.
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