confuse

verb

con·​fuse kən-ˈfyüz How to pronounce confuse (audio)
confused; confusing

transitive verb

1
: to disturb in mind or purpose : throw off
The directions she gave confused us.
2
a
: to make indistinct : blur
Stop confusing the issue.
b
: to fail to differentiate from an often similar or related other
confuse money with comfort
Do not confuse the words "flaunt" and "flout."
c
: to mix indiscriminately : jumble
Their arms, legs, and bodies were confused together, till they resembled … two serpents interlaced.Thomas Medwin
3
: to make embarrassed : abash
4
archaic : to bring to ruin
confusingly adverb

Examples of confuse in a Sentence

The general was trying to confuse the enemy. The new evidence only confused matters further. You must be confusing me with someone else.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
After a whirlwind of speculation and confusing back-and-forth negotiations, the Jacksonville Jaguars have officially hired former Tampa Bay offensive coordinator Liam Coen as their new head coach. Gordon G. Chang, Newsweek, 25 Jan. 2025 Some residents have confused local law enforcement for ICE agents, said Earl Stoddard, an assistant chief administrative officer in Montgomery County, a sign of locals' anxieties that their neighborhood could be the agency's next target. Democrat-Gazette Staff From Wire Reports, arkansasonline.com, 25 Jan. 2025 Still, don’t confuse this Clemson with the one Swinney had sitting on top of the college football world in 2016 and 2018. Manny Navarro, The Athletic, 23 Jan. 2025 Although people often confuse the two, cardiac arrests and heart attacks are very different, said Dr. Audrey Blewer, an assistant professor of community health and nursing at Duke University. Ciara McCarthy, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 23 Jan. 2025 See all Example Sentences for confuse 

Word History

Etymology

Middle English confusen, back-formation from confused "frustrated, ruined," participle based on Anglo-French confus, borrowed from Latin confūsus, past participle of confundere "to pour together, blend, bring into disorder, destroy, disconcert" — more at confound

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 4

Time Traveler
The first known use of confuse was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near confuse

Cite this Entry

“Confuse.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/confuse. Accessed 29 Jan. 2025.

Kids Definition

confuse

verb
con·​fuse kən-ˈfyüz How to pronounce confuse (audio)
confused; confusing
1
a
: to make mentally foggy or uncertain : perplex
the complicated problem confused us
b
: to cause to be embarrassed or upset
2
: to make unclear : blur
stop confusing the issue
3
: to make disordered : jumble
the cords were all confused together
4
: to fail to tell apart
teachers always confused the twins
confusedly
-ˈfyüz(-ə)d-lē
adverb
confusingly adverb

More from Merriam-Webster on confuse

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