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
Fervo is different type of next gen, also known as enhanced geothermal systems (EGS, not to be confused with ESG), designed to address the scalability limitations of traditional geothermal.
—
Jordan Blum, Fortune, 14 May 2026
The hemp business is trickier, said Palmer, due in part to confusing and changing federal and state regulations on the cultivation and production of cannabis.
—William Deffaa, Baltimore Sun, 14 May 2026
Some states’ laws are confusing or vague.
—Allen G. Breed, Los Angeles Times, 14 May 2026
The Phyllis Schlafly of today is the writer Helen Andrews, with whom I am sometimes confused by liberals with Helen blindness.
—Helen Lewis, The Atlantic, 14 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for confuse
Jordan Blum, Fortune, 14 May 2026
The hemp business is trickier, said Palmer, due in part to confusing and changing federal and state regulations on the cultivation and production of cannabis.
—William Deffaa, Baltimore Sun, 14 May 2026
Some states’ laws are confusing or vague.
—Allen G. Breed, Los Angeles Times, 14 May 2026
The Phyllis Schlafly of today is the writer Helen Andrews, with whom I am sometimes confused by liberals with Helen blindness.
—Helen Lewis, The Atlantic, 14 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for confuse
Recent Examples of Synonyms for confuse
Verb
-
Gasly seems faintly bewildered by the designation.—
Maxwell Adler,
Vanity Fair,
27 Apr. 2026
-
Netizens were bewildered by the latest pivot, resulting in plenty of mockery on social media.—
Victor Tangermann,
Futurism,
16 Apr. 2026
Verb
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The goal wasn’t to shape or combat any one particular narrative, but to complicate the entire story through brute force.—
Hershal Pandya,
Vulture,
15 May 2026
-
According to the company, this increases costs, limits flexibility, and complicates maintenance.—
Neetika Walter,
Interesting Engineering,
15 May 2026
Verb
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And mistaking one for the other is another legacy of how the Cold War foreshortened the humanistic possibilities of the intellectual revolution of the past eighty years—a revolution that has, miraculously, allowed people to communicate with machines using human languages.—
Jill Lepore,
New Yorker,
18 May 2026
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Their father, Nahuel (Amién), flits from one romantic affair to another, failing to recognize his shortcomings the way fathers typically forget minor yet significant details, like mistaking his younger daughter’s shoe size or never delivering on his promise to have the sink fixed.—
Lé Baltar,
IndieWire,
16 May 2026
Verb
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You’re locked in a cage with another human, that wants to beat the s*** out of you, embarrass you in front of millions of people.—
Sarah Shephard,
New York Times,
15 May 2026
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The Sixers were embarrassed by the Knicks 144-114 in Game 4 in front of a New York-heavy crowd in South Philadelphia.—
Tom Dougherty,
CBS News,
12 May 2026
Verb
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There has also been concern that two common sunscreen ingredients, homosalate and oxybenzone, may have endocrine-disrupting properties.—
Devika Rao,
TheWeek,
18 May 2026
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Residents rallied against landowner Matt Connell’s proposal with many expressing concerns the burial site would disrupt their quiet community and contaminate groundwater or attract wildlife that could dig up the graves.—
Karina Tsui,
CNN Money,
18 May 2026
Verb
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As a longtime rider I, too, am perplexed by regular displays of poor customer service by CTA employees.—
Chicago Tribune,
Chicago Tribune,
11 May 2026
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As Season 3 of Euphoria continues to stir up some controversy, one of the show’s stars is perplexed by Cassie’s (Sydney Sweeney) OnlyFans storyline.—
Glenn Garner,
Deadline,
24 Apr. 2026
Verb
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This practice blurs the lines of community policing.—
Natasha Dartigue,
Baltimore Sun,
16 May 2026
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Mornings blurred into basketball practices, and afternoons drifted toward softball workouts.—
Ira Gorawara,
New York Times,
15 May 2026
Verb
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The Pistons’ defense is swarming and flustering the Cavs.—
Zach Harper,
New York Times,
8 May 2026
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This comes up every few years, and everyone gets all flustered every few years.—
Zach Dean OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
29 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Confuse.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/confuse. Accessed 21 May. 2026.
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