1
as in baffling
to throw into a state of mental uncertainty
we were confounded by the player's remote control, which wasn't at all user-friendly
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in embarrassing
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 confusing
to fail to differentiate (a thing) from something similar or related
I think you've confounded astrology with astronomy
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in refuting
to prove to be false
new discoveries that confound much of what archaeologists thought they knew about the Mayan civilization
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in perplexing
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of confounding
Mac Cerullo, Boston Herald, 22 Aug. 2025
Sam Bodrojan, IndieWire, 11 Sep. 2025
Researchers believe that these past associations may be attributable to confounding.
—Sherri Gordon, Parents, 9 Sep. 2025
Of the many developments since the Texas Rangers won their World Series, one that is both impressive and confounding is the state of the Silver Star Boot series.
—Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 8 Sep. 2025
The pandemic also proved to be a confounding factor during that 2021 to 2023 period.
—Nathaniel Meyersohn, CNN Money, 8 Sep. 2025
Defenses already struggle to account for Jokic’s often confounding passing angles.
—Joel Rush, Forbes.com, 2 Sep. 2025
But later, the suspect, who is facing trial for murder and other crimes, provided a set of confounding explanations.
—Ernesto Londoño, Twin Cities, 1 Sep. 2025
Questions have long swirled as to how Epstein managed to leave behind an estate valued at close to $600 million given his confounding job history.
—Chris Spargo, People.com, 28 Aug. 2025
From edgy indies to blockbuster crowd-pleasers, prestige Oscar bait to experimental movies, Van Sant has spent the past 40 years delighting, surprising and confounding his audience.
—Scott Roxborough, HollywoodReporter, 27 Aug. 2025
Verb
Tuesday will go down as one of Boston’s most confounding losses of the season, a 4-3 defeat in 11 innings to the Baltimore Orioles in which the club went 0 for 13 with runners in scoring position.
—Mac Cerullo, Boston Herald, 22 Aug. 2025
Adjective
Such thematic complications present themselves, though in a confounding order, with unreliable consistency.
—Sam Bodrojan, IndieWire, 11 Sep. 2025
Researchers believe that these past associations may be attributable to confounding.
—Sherri Gordon, Parents, 9 Sep. 2025
Of the many developments since the Texas Rangers won their World Series, one that is both impressive and confounding is the state of the Silver Star Boot series.
—Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 8 Sep. 2025
The pandemic also proved to be a confounding factor during that 2021 to 2023 period.
—Nathaniel Meyersohn, CNN Money, 8 Sep. 2025
Defenses already struggle to account for Jokic’s often confounding passing angles.
—Joel Rush, Forbes.com, 2 Sep. 2025
But later, the suspect, who is facing trial for murder and other crimes, provided a set of confounding explanations.
—Ernesto Londoño, Twin Cities, 1 Sep. 2025
Questions have long swirled as to how Epstein managed to leave behind an estate valued at close to $600 million given his confounding job history.
—Chris Spargo, People.com, 28 Aug. 2025
From edgy indies to blockbuster crowd-pleasers, prestige Oscar bait to experimental movies, Van Sant has spent the past 40 years delighting, surprising and confounding his audience.
—Scott Roxborough, HollywoodReporter, 27 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for confounding
Verb
-
That’s baffling to me that it was even checked.—
Brendan Kuty,
New York Times,
5 Sep. 2025
Verb
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The mother, being a mother, finds fault and has embarrassing politics.—
Nathaniel Moore
September 10,
Literary Hub,
10 Sep. 2025
-
On top of that already embarrassing history, Ravens longtime head coach John Harbaugh has made some unfortunate NFL history of his own.—
James Brizuela,
MSNBC Newsweek,
8 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Since its creation in 2007, only about 2% of applicants had successfully received forgiveness before the pandemic, largely due to confusing eligibility rules and administrative mismanagement.—
Leadership Brainery,
Forbes.com,
10 Sep. 2025
-
Beneficiaries would have to verify their own identities by using an often-confusing web portal or by traveling to a field office to do it in person.—
Eli Hager,
ProPublica,
8 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
On Friday, Swift’s lawyer stepped into the fray to set the record straight, refuting the claim that his client had agreed to answer questions under oath.—
Nancy Dillon,
Rolling Stone,
12 Sep. 2025
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Days after the hearing, the leader of the Pentagon's office to investigate UFOs provided testimony of his own refuting some of the claims.—
Eric Lagatta,
USA Today,
10 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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For nearly five decades, NASA's twin Voyager probes have plumbed the cosmos in search of answers to some of astronomy's most perplexing mysteries about our solar system and its place in the wider universe.—
Eric Lagatta,
USA Today,
8 Sep. 2025
-
The justice character dimension has been perplexing to people.—
Mary Crossan,
Forbes.com,
8 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Staying away from puzzling lines like this is typically the best move.—
Tyler Everett,
MSNBC Newsweek,
10 Sep. 2025
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After getting entangled in a puzzling murder, the two go on the run to solve the case while also trying to piece their relationship back together.—
James Mercadante,
PEOPLE,
4 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Meeting these expectations has put real strain on automotive retail, challenging dealers to know when to rely on intelligent tools—and when to step in with human expertise.—
Malana VanTyler,
USA Today,
11 Sep. 2025
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Finally, Sperka reminds guests not to worry about challenging light conditions.—
Jordi Lippe-McGraw,
Forbes.com,
10 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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Over the course of a few hours in Washington on Tuesday, the increasingly muddled state of public health unfolded.—
Philip Elliott,
Time,
10 Sep. 2025
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This is an impossible task – partly due to Trump’s own muddled thinking – but most importantly, because Putin does not want peace.—
Nick Paton Walsh,
CNN Money,
8 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Confounding.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/confounding. Accessed 17 Sep. 2025.
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