1
as in to bewilder
to throw into a state of mental uncertainty
the similar-sounding words "censure" and "censor" often confuse people
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to complicate
to make (something) unclear to the understanding
stop confusing the issue with irrelevant facts
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in to mistake
to fail to differentiate (a thing) from something similar or related
a lot of people confuse popular fame with enduring achievement
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in to embarrass
to throw into a state of self-conscious distress
she was confused by the shocking bluntness of his marriage proposal
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
5
as in to disrupt
to undo the proper order or arrangement of
vandals had hopelessly confused the papers in the office files
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of confuse
But none of this should be confused with a national wave of love for the opposition party.
—
Mark Leibovich, The Atlantic, 11 Feb. 2026
The refusal to confuse outrage with agency.
—Joe Palaggi, Twin Cities, 11 Feb. 2026
Unfortunately, traumatic stress that develops while observing and listening to traumatized students has not been widely publicized and often is confused with burnout.
—Bruce Plopper, Washington Post, 10 Feb. 2026
The early leader is an unexpected fusion that confused me at first.
—Broderick Turner, Los Angeles Times, 10 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for confuse
Mark Leibovich, The Atlantic, 11 Feb. 2026
The refusal to confuse outrage with agency.
—Joe Palaggi, Twin Cities, 11 Feb. 2026
Unfortunately, traumatic stress that develops while observing and listening to traumatized students has not been widely publicized and often is confused with burnout.
—Bruce Plopper, Washington Post, 10 Feb. 2026
The early leader is an unexpected fusion that confused me at first.
—Broderick Turner, Los Angeles Times, 10 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for confuse
Recent Examples of Synonyms for confuse
Verb
-
Even a principled, well-meaning actor like Claude could face bewildering ethical conflicts.—
Gideon Lewis-Kraus,
New Yorker,
9 Feb. 2026
-
Oswalt confesses being bewildered by Bamford at first.—
Lisa Kennedy,
Variety,
30 Jan. 2026
Verb
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At 5,300 years old, any of those explanations complicates the conventional picture of how sophisticated Predynastic Egyptian material science actually was.—
Ryan Brennan,
Kansas City Star,
13 Feb. 2026
-
Her recovery was complicated by the routine obstacles that govern all aspects of life at Dilley.—
Mike Hixenbaugh,
NBC news,
13 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Wildlife must maneuver around this waste, pets can mistake it for food, and kids are left playing in spaces that should be clean and healthy but aren’t.—
Jay Reddick,
The Orlando Sentinel,
14 Feb. 2026
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No one will mistake this for the Dodgers’ billion-dollar starting rotation, which features eight All-Star games, two Cy Young awards, four MVP trophies and a World Series MVP honor.—
Sam Blum,
New York Times,
14 Feb. 2026
Verb
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One day, Will goes viral after embarrassing ROAR league MVP, Mane Attraction (Aaron Pierre), during a streetball challenge, prompting his favorite team, the Vineland Thorns, to sign him to a season-ending contract in a desperate attempt to juice ticket sales.—
Brian Davids,
HollywoodReporter,
11 Feb. 2026
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The case has deeply embarrassed the royal family, especially his mother, who suffers from an incurable lung illness and who is torn between her role as mother and future queen.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
10 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Corvus Robotics says the system can operate during active warehouse shifts without disrupting workflows.—
Neetika Walter,
Interesting Engineering,
10 Feb. 2026
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The West Coast sunlight would disrupt the concert feel that most halftime shows have, Cuddeford said.—
Itzel Luna,
Los Angeles Times,
10 Feb. 2026
Verb
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The moment became viral on social media, with some X users perplexed at the interview.—
Lea Veloso,
StyleCaster,
11 Feb. 2026
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That’s perplexing to Alvarez and Oakley, given that Cal State tuition is still relatively low, despite recent annual tuition hikes.—
Cal Matters,
Mercury News,
28 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
From time to time, her vision would blur.—
Ari Daniel,
NPR,
14 Feb. 2026
-
The clip shows a dark-haired man whose face is blurred, though a goatee is somewhat visible.—
Jami Ganz,
New York Daily News,
13 Feb. 2026
Verb
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The singer had been tasked with announcing the penultimate winner of the night after accepting her Lifetime Achievement Award from the Recording Academy, and had already been flustered by initially forgetting to do so and having to be called back by six-time host Trevor Noah.—
Mekishana Pierre,
Entertainment Weekly,
3 Feb. 2026
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South Carolina was flying all over the court to start the game, completely flustering freshman guard Aubrey Galvan and forcing three Commodores turnovers in 30 seconds to open an 11-2 lead in less than two minutes.—
Sabreena Merchant,
New York Times,
26 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Confuse.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/confuse. Accessed 16 Feb. 2026.
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