confound
verb
con·found
kən-ˈfau̇nd 
kän-
confounded; confounding; confounds
1
: to throw (a person) into confusion or perplexity
tactics to confound the enemy
2
3
: damn
4
a
: to fail to discern differences between : mix up
They implored Charles not to confound the innocent with the guilty …—
T. B. Macaulay
T. B. Macaulay
b
: to increase the confusion of
5
Synonyms
Examples of confound in a Sentence
The strategy confounded our opponents.
The murder case has confounded investigators.
The school's team confounded all predictions and won the game.
The success of the show confounded critics.
Recent Examples on the Web
On Sunday night, Yeezy bought Super Bowl ad time in local markets, and a confounding, short spot for the brand aired toward the big game’s conclusion.
—Kevin Dolak, The Hollywood Reporter, 11 Feb. 2025
Mixed media artist Zhou constructs mutating digital landscapes that confound classical notions of scale, composition, and visual realism.
—Samantha Bergeson, IndieWire, 10 Feb. 2025
Their tournament profile is as wobbly as the defense that has confounded coach Mark Few for weeks.
—Jon Wilner, The Mercury News, 3 Feb. 2025
They were strung out, seeking help, and fell into a confounding dystopia.
—Teri Sforza, Orange County Register, 27 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for confound 
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Kevin Dolak, The Hollywood Reporter, 11 Feb. 2025
Mixed media artist Zhou constructs mutating digital landscapes that confound classical notions of scale, composition, and visual realism.
—Samantha Bergeson, IndieWire, 10 Feb. 2025
Their tournament profile is as wobbly as the defense that has confounded coach Mark Few for weeks.
—Jon Wilner, The Mercury News, 3 Feb. 2025
They were strung out, seeking help, and fell into a confounding dystopia.
—Teri Sforza, Orange County Register, 27 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for confound
Dictionary Entries Near confound
Cite this Entry
“Confound.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/confound. Accessed 20 Feb. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
confound
verb
con·found
kən-ˈfau̇nd
kän-
2
: to throw into disorder : mix up : confuse
our clever tactics confounded our opponents
confoundedly
adverb
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