1
as in to confuse
to throw into a state of mental uncertainty
we were confounded by the player's remote control, which wasn't at all user-friendly
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to embarrass
to throw into a state of self-conscious distress
his renewed popularity has confounded the critics who said his singing career was dead
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3
as in to conflate
to fail to differentiate (a thing) from something similar or related
I think you've confounded astrology with astronomy
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4
as in to refute
to prove to be false
new discoveries that confound much of what archaeologists thought they knew about the Mayan civilization
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of confound
And yet the optics might still be a little confounding to a D.C. outsider, who could wonder if the celebrations need to be as loud or as large.
—
Steven Zeitchik, HollywoodReporter, 27 Apr. 2025
His discography includes some of the greatest and most confounding hip-hop music ever made, full of swift mood changes and uneasy juxtapositions.
—Kelefa Sanneh, New Yorker, 15 May 2025
Safety risks may go undetected in animals, and the stress of laboratory life can affect their immune function and responses, a significant confounding factor in animal research that scientists have noted before.
—Rachel Fobar, Vox, 14 May 2025
Murderbot devours season after season, without any sense of irony, as an escape from its confounding entanglements with actual people.
—James Poniewozik, New York Times, 14 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for confound
Steven Zeitchik, HollywoodReporter, 27 Apr. 2025
His discography includes some of the greatest and most confounding hip-hop music ever made, full of swift mood changes and uneasy juxtapositions.
—Kelefa Sanneh, New Yorker, 15 May 2025
Safety risks may go undetected in animals, and the stress of laboratory life can affect their immune function and responses, a significant confounding factor in animal research that scientists have noted before.
—Rachel Fobar, Vox, 14 May 2025
Murderbot devours season after season, without any sense of irony, as an escape from its confounding entanglements with actual people.
—James Poniewozik, New York Times, 14 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for confound
Recent Examples of Synonyms for confound
Verb
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The measures are set to take effect on Monday and have left many Haitians confused.—
Jacqueline Charles,
Miami Herald,
6 June 2025
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Elections and Certifications Don’t confuse a benefit or B corporation with a B Corp.—
Kelly Phillips Erb,
Forbes.com,
6 June 2025
Verb
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The following program will contain graphic stupidity, as four friends compete to embarrass one another – only this time in Lithuania.—
Jesse Whittock,
Deadline,
9 June 2025
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Races are sometimes won by runners making a move from the back of the pack, and L.A. could still find its stride, show some pride, and avoid embarrassing itself.—
Steve Lopez,
Los Angeles Times,
7 June 2025
Verb
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Security camera footage, however, refuted his story, according to the court documents.—
Mike Stunson,
Kansas City Star,
4 June 2025
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Yet a source close to the contract negotiations, who requested anonymity to discuss a sensitive topic, refuted that claim.—
Mikael Wood,
Los Angeles Times,
30 May 2025
Verb
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There was one final thing that left St John perplexed.—
Laurie Whitwell,
New York Times,
11 May 2025
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The results achieved statistical significance in one part of the analysis but not in others, perplexing outside experts.—
Brenda Goodman,
CNN,
19 Mar. 2025
Verb
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But the decision was overturned to a no-contest after Keyshawn tested positive for marijuana.—
Scott Thompson,
FOXNews.com,
8 June 2025
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Adeyemi then had a penalty overturned in the 35th minute.—
Manuel Veth,
Forbes.com,
8 June 2025
Verb
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Babb acknowledged that the team was bewildered at the stunning turn of events.—
Edward Lee,
Baltimore Sun,
30 May 2025
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They were bewildered for me, and so was all the other staff.—
Thomas G. Moukawsher,
MSNBC Newsweek,
24 Apr. 2025
Verb
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Trump’s team is working furiously to keep the bill going on other fronts, too: seeking to discredit Congress’s nonpartisan scorekeeper while savaging Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., for resisting the bill and its debt ceiling increase.—
Burgess Everett,
semafor.com,
6 June 2025
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The White House has sought to discredit the CBO, but other groups have also presented estimates that conclude that the legislation would expand the U.S. government deficit by trillions of dollars.—
Ted Johnson,
Deadline,
4 June 2025
Verb
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How Harry has changed under the influence of Meghan Markle has been baffling both to the royal family and beyond.—
Stephanie Nolasco , Ashley Papa,
FOXNews.com,
9 June 2025
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So, for the club to be entertaining flogging, the one man who has bucked that trend is baffling.—
Zak Garner-Purkis,
Forbes.com,
31 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Confound.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/confound. Accessed 14 Jun. 2025.
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