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
Fans may be confused by the finale, which pivots on a disclosure that’s bound to be common knowledge for viewers (and should already be recognized by the characters, too).
—
Ben Travers, IndieWire, 2 Apr. 2026
However, following the path of Artemis II may be confusing as the astronauts, mission control and others use confusing jargon and phrases.
—Bymary Kekatos, ABC News, 2 Apr. 2026
Monty said the messages alarmed and confused her.
—Bridget Fogarty, jsonline.com, 1 Apr. 2026
Sea turtles and other marine animals can often confuse burst balloons floating in the water for jellyfish.
—Stephen Underwood, Hartford Courant, 31 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for confuse
Ben Travers, IndieWire, 2 Apr. 2026
However, following the path of Artemis II may be confusing as the astronauts, mission control and others use confusing jargon and phrases.
—Bymary Kekatos, ABC News, 2 Apr. 2026
Monty said the messages alarmed and confused her.
—Bridget Fogarty, jsonline.com, 1 Apr. 2026
Sea turtles and other marine animals can often confuse burst balloons floating in the water for jellyfish.
—Stephen Underwood, Hartford Courant, 31 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for confuse
Recent Examples of Synonyms for confuse
Verb
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There aren’t many ways to earn a club’s first win better than bewildering the league’s defending champions at their place.—
Braidon Nourse,
Denver Post,
26 Mar. 2026
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Now, many millions of Americans are bewildered by events.—
David French,
Mercury News,
3 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Right now, marketers are still trying to get a read on how economic conditions may shake out, and there won’t be much clarity in the ad market until budgets are registered—a process that itself will be complicated by the ongoing geopolitical upheavals.—
Anthony Crupi,
Sportico.com,
3 Apr. 2026
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Another complicating factor is software.—
Christopher McFadden,
Interesting Engineering,
3 Apr. 2026
Verb
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The market focuses on the median dot and often mistakes it for a plan, even though they are derived from 19 separate forecasts and not curated into a policy forecast by the committee.—
Steve Liesman,Matt Peterson,
CNBC,
27 Mar. 2026
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The result is, at best, a category error; at worst, a moral panic—mistaking architecture for art, and art for authority.—
Julian Rose,
Artforum,
26 Mar. 2026
Verb
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And when that happens, Jamahl Mosley — a good coach and an even better man — will be the fall guy for a team that is embarrassing itself on a national scale and getting exposed in the league standings.—
Mike Bianchi,
The Orlando Sentinel,
2 Apr. 2026
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The very existence of Tisch’s relationship and conversations with Epstein, which are not in dispute, should be enough to embarrass the NFL.—
Pat Leonard,
New York Daily News,
1 Apr. 2026
Verb
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The Houthis have previously attacked commercial ships in the Red Sea to disrupt the flow of oil, gas and other commodities through the Bab el-Mandeb strait.—
Lucia I Suarez Sang,
CBS News,
31 Mar. 2026
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Gas prices have surged past $4 per gallon for the first time in more than three years on Tuesday, according to data from GasBuddy, as the war in Iran continues to disrupt global oil supplies.—
Giulia Carbonaro,
MSNBC Newsweek,
31 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Their presence prompted nervousness among beachgoers and surfers sharing the water, but marveled researchers who were perplexed by the abnormally longer stay close to shore.—
Laylan Connelly,
Oc Register,
27 Mar. 2026
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These are the brutally real snapshots of a man well acquainted with—but still perplexed by—the powerful and destructive forces that lord over our lives.—
Dash Lewis,
Pitchfork,
4 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Nowadays, the two positions blur together, but his father, Troy, and Harvard-Westlake coach David Rebibo insisted his aspirations were to be on the ball.—
Aaron Heisen,
Daily News,
4 Apr. 2026
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Winter clouds and sleet blurred everything together, but as my eyes adjusted, what seemed dull grew more distinctive.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
3 Apr. 2026
Verb
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But Seymour threw on a press, flustering the Patriots, who began to turn the ball over.—
Lori Riley,
Hartford Courant,
22 Mar. 2026
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The Buckeyes were flustered at times and committed 15 turnovers on the day.—
Ben Messinger,
Daily News,
7 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Confuse.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/confuse. Accessed 5 Apr. 2026.
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