1
as in difficult
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Dissimilar Words
2
as in perplexing
Related Words
Dissimilar Words
1
as in baffling
to throw into a state of mental uncertainty
the similar-sounding words "censure" and "censor" often confuse people
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in complicating
to make (something) unclear to the understanding
stop confusing the issue with irrelevant facts
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in mistaking
to fail to differentiate (a thing) from something similar or related
a lot of people confuse popular fame with enduring achievement
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in embarrassing
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 disrupting
to undo the proper order or arrangement of
vandals had hopelessly confused the papers in the office files
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of confusing
Hannah Hudnall, Louisville Courier Journal, 12 Feb. 2026
What’s confusing is that Kevan is so confused to be stood up.
—Jennifer Zhan, Vulture, 11 Feb. 2026
The fact that hospital prices might be confusing for patients is a consequence of the lack of standardization in contracts and presentation, Cleverley said.
—Darius Tahir, NPR, 10 Feb. 2026
Even when Mina-sue chose to pursue Seung-il, or when she was confronted by Su-been for her confusing choices, Sung-hun stood by her side through thick and thin.
—Lea Veloso, StyleCaster, 10 Feb. 2026
But the economy is in a confusing place.
—Anne D'innocenzio, Fortune, 10 Feb. 2026
When answers feel rushed or confusing, uncertainty can harden into hesitation.
—Donna A. Gaffney, Sun Sentinel, 10 Feb. 2026
It’s been a confusing time for people with student loans.
—Dallas Morning News, 10 Feb. 2026
It was made more confusing because another key document districts rely on, distribution reports, have also been held up during the upgrade.
—A.d. Quig, Chicago Tribune, 9 Feb. 2026
Aliza Chasan, CBS News, 7 Feb. 2026
For many, tax season can be a confusing and stressful time with lingering deadlines and confusing tax forms.
—Paige Moore, AZCentral.com, 7 Feb. 2026
As technology has advanced, criminals have grown savvy and used it to their benefit, confusing police and the public and masking their identities.
—Barbara Ortutay, Fortune, 6 Feb. 2026
Between confusing federal guidance and a record-long government shutdown, state and county workers have struggled to implement the new rules within the tight timeline outlined in the bill.
—Maia Pandey, jsonline.com, 3 Feb. 2026
For buyers, more choice in hardware can be confusing with the rapid changes, but does not mean more complexity by default.
—Ron Schmelzer, Forbes.com, 26 Jan. 2026
For example, during a recent power outage in San Francisco, autonomous robotaxis got stuck at intersections, blocking emergency vehicles and confusing other drivers.
—Murugan Anandarajan, The Conversation, 22 Jan. 2026
The projectionist showed the second reel first, and as my grandfather said, the film was already confusing enough.
—Zac Ntim, Deadline, 21 Jan. 2026
If that weren’t confusing enough, Guinea-Bissau is going through a coup and has replaced all of its top health officials.
—O. Rose Broderick, STAT, 16 Jan. 2026
Adjective
Here's a breakdown of the somewhat confusing chain of events from this week.
—Hannah Hudnall, Louisville Courier Journal, 12 Feb. 2026
What’s confusing is that Kevan is so confused to be stood up.
—Jennifer Zhan, Vulture, 11 Feb. 2026
The fact that hospital prices might be confusing for patients is a consequence of the lack of standardization in contracts and presentation, Cleverley said.
—Darius Tahir, NPR, 10 Feb. 2026
Even when Mina-sue chose to pursue Seung-il, or when she was confronted by Su-been for her confusing choices, Sung-hun stood by her side through thick and thin.
—Lea Veloso, StyleCaster, 10 Feb. 2026
But the economy is in a confusing place.
—Anne D'innocenzio, Fortune, 10 Feb. 2026
When answers feel rushed or confusing, uncertainty can harden into hesitation.
—Donna A. Gaffney, Sun Sentinel, 10 Feb. 2026
It’s been a confusing time for people with student loans.
—Dallas Morning News, 10 Feb. 2026
It was made more confusing because another key document districts rely on, distribution reports, have also been held up during the upgrade.
—A.d. Quig, Chicago Tribune, 9 Feb. 2026
Verb
Germany's exact medal count is a point of contention because Germany has not always competed in each Olympics as a unified country, which can lead to confusing medal counts.
—Aliza Chasan, CBS News, 7 Feb. 2026
For many, tax season can be a confusing and stressful time with lingering deadlines and confusing tax forms.
—Paige Moore, AZCentral.com, 7 Feb. 2026
As technology has advanced, criminals have grown savvy and used it to their benefit, confusing police and the public and masking their identities.
—Barbara Ortutay, Fortune, 6 Feb. 2026
Between confusing federal guidance and a record-long government shutdown, state and county workers have struggled to implement the new rules within the tight timeline outlined in the bill.
—Maia Pandey, jsonline.com, 3 Feb. 2026
For buyers, more choice in hardware can be confusing with the rapid changes, but does not mean more complexity by default.
—Ron Schmelzer, Forbes.com, 26 Jan. 2026
For example, during a recent power outage in San Francisco, autonomous robotaxis got stuck at intersections, blocking emergency vehicles and confusing other drivers.
—Murugan Anandarajan, The Conversation, 22 Jan. 2026
The projectionist showed the second reel first, and as my grandfather said, the film was already confusing enough.
—Zac Ntim, Deadline, 21 Jan. 2026
If that weren’t confusing enough, Guinea-Bissau is going through a coup and has replaced all of its top health officials.
—O. Rose Broderick, STAT, 16 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for confusing
Adjective
-
Training and case management through FRAP is supposed to help attorneys deal with what Clegg calls a difficult area of law.—
Raynee Howell,
Oklahoma Watch,
9 Feb. 2026
-
Will this race and the other changes create an opportunity for NASCAR to turn the page on its difficult 2025?—
Jeff Gluck,
New York Times,
9 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
The oven was equally perplexing.—
Jason Fried,
The Atlantic,
7 Feb. 2026
-
It’s been part of a perplexing trend this season for Peterson, who has missed 10 full games and notable portions of 10 others with nagging injuries.—
Justin Williams,
New York Times,
3 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Georgia basketball’s matchup with Tennessee ended in baffling fashion Wednesday night.—
Olivia Sayer,
AJC.com,
29 Jan. 2026
-
The pilot of a private jet reportedly made an eerie discovery while flying thousands of feet over Rhode Island, marking the latest in unexplained encounters baffling both experts and civilians alike.—
Julia Bonavita,
FOXNews.com,
22 Dec. 2025
Verb
-
Brontë’s genius lies in complicating hate and love, in passing burdens across generations.—
Ana Gutierrez,
Austin American Statesman,
11 Feb. 2026
-
Further complicating things were that the fastball-slider combo essentially stayed on the same plane, mostly up in the strike zone.—
Evan Grant,
Dallas Morning News,
11 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
And on Mondays, owners of franchises desperate to catch up continue to prize familiarity, mistaking their comfort for competence, trusting that stubborn repetition will somehow produce stability.—
Jerry Brewer,
New York Times,
2 Feb. 2026
-
There is no mistaking the tragedy of Roper killing his own son for Teddy’s betrayal.—
Hunter Ingram,
Variety,
1 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
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
-
And then Thaddeus’s arm falls off, embarrassing his companions.—
Shirley Li,
The Atlantic,
5 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
While Andreessen saw software disrupting industries, Morgan Stanley sees AI disrupting labor itself.—
Nick Lichtenberg,
Fortune,
13 Feb. 2026
-
Want to know more about how AI is disrupting Hollywood?—
Jake Kanter,
Deadline,
13 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
The Mammoth have the pace and scoring depth to be a troublesome first-round opponent for either Vegas or Edmonton, and there’s a sense that they’re just getting started.—
Thomas Drance,
New York Times,
3 Feb. 2026
-
Secretary of State Marco Rubio, whose parents left Cuba a few years before Fidel Castro took power, has eyed the regime in Havana as one of the world’s most pernicious, inhumane and troublesome.—
Daniel DePetris,
Chicago Tribune,
3 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Confusing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/confusing. Accessed 15 Feb. 2026.
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