confuse

verb

kən-ˈfyüz How to pronounce confuse (audio)
Definition of confusenext
1
as in to bewilder
to throw into a state of mental uncertainty the similar-sounding words "censure" and "censor" often confuse people

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2
as in to complicate
to make (something) unclear to the understanding stop confusing the issue with irrelevant facts

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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

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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

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5
as in to disrupt
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

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.
Recent Examples of confuse What To Know Cooper, a senior fellow at the American Enterprise Institute, argues that modest upfront payments could reignite engagement among borrowers who have become disillusioned or confused by fluctuating federal policy. — Newsweek Staff, MSNBC Newsweek, 4 Apr. 2025 With a Department of Food, inspectors would be able to oversee all food types, from burgers to veggie patties, without confusing jurisdictional overlap. — Francisco Velasquez, Quartz, 3 Apr. 2025 Adam DeVine was told to 'stick to the script' on Modern Family after confusing Sofia Vergara with improv DeVine detailed his childhood accident to Entertainment Weekly in 2016. — Ryan Coleman, EW.com, 3 Apr. 2025 The Dodgers are on Spectrum SportsNet LA, which is not to be confused with Spectrum SportsNet, which carries the Lakers. — Chad Jennings, New York Times, 26 Mar. 2025 See All Example Sentences for confuse
Recent Examples of Synonyms for confuse
  1. bewilder
  2. complicate
  3. mistake
  4. embarrass
  5. disrupt
  6. perplex
  7. blur
  8. fluster
Verb
  • That’s all bewildering plot-wise, but Morrison also bewilders readers through language.
    — The New Yorker, The New Yorker, 12 Mar. 2025
  • This match exposed a couple of ugly issues the tour has to address and left spectators bewildered for long stretches at a time.
    — Todd Boss, Forbes, 25 Feb. 2025
Definition of bewilder
Verb
  • Missing their leading scorer and best player will complicate that pursuit.
    — Jon Krawczynski, New York Times, 12 Apr. 2025
  • Additionally, the digital scan has complicated a controversial narrative about a first officer on the Titanic: William Murdoch, who has long been accused of abandoning his post.
    — Sonja Anderson, Smithsonian Magazine, 11 Apr. 2025
Definition of complicate
Verb
  • The crew initially mistook the shark for an elephant seal, KTLA reported.
    — Don Sweeney, Sacramento Bee, 23 Mar. 2025
  • Folks on the Venice boardwalk could be forgiven for mistaking us for a large group of picnickers.
    — George B. Sánchez-Tello, Rolling Stone, 23 Mar. 2025
Definition of mistake
Verb
  • Mariah Carey just pulled a classic mom move by embarrassing her teenage son in front of his friends.
    — Mitchell Peters, Billboard, 5 Apr. 2025
  • The leaking was intended to embarrass Bork, whose nomination was ultimately rejected by the U.S. Senate albeit for reasons unrelated to his rental list.
    — Michael McCann, Sportico.com, 20 Mar. 2025
Definition of embarrass
Verb
  • This decision by the Russian Federation will undoubtedly endanger lives and disrupt critical HIV prevention efforts for ordinary Russian citizens.
    — Stephen Daw, Billboard, 10 Apr. 2025
  • Behind the scenes there was no doubt other dreams were dashed and processes disrupted.
    — Evan Clark, Footwear News, 10 Apr. 2025
Definition of disrupt
Verb
  • Multiple voices in one hand blended into fistfuls of color, and perplexing emphases on accompaniment figures served to distract, rather than elucidate, the musical argument.
    — Luke Schulze, San Diego Union-Tribune, 3 Mar. 2025
  • Dahl was especially perplexed by the response to Evans’s fall.
    — Ronan Farrow, The New Yorker, 24 Mar. 2025
Definition of perplex
Verb
  • On the other hand, holding a company liable for one person’s speech blurs the line between individual and collective responsibility.
    — Kwame Anthony Appiah, New York Times, 26 Mar. 2025
  • Though rooted in self-love, these trends can blur the line between care and consumerism.
    — Jasmine Browley, Essence, 26 Mar. 2025
Definition of blur
Verb
  • Max Fried doesn’t get flustered.
    — Dan Schlossberg, Forbes.com, 27 Mar. 2025
  • Many of the world’s best players left flustered by Pete and Alice Dye’s grand examination.
    — Justin Ray, The Athletic, 14 Mar. 2025
Definition of fluster

Browse Nearby Words

confronts
confuse
confused
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Cite this Entry

“Confuse.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/confuse. Accessed 17 Apr. 2025.

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