CONFOUNDS Synonyms: 157 Similar and Opposite Words

confounds

verb

present tense third-person singular of confound

as in confuses

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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as in embarrasses

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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as in conflates

to fail to differentiate (a thing) from something similar or related I think you've confounded astrology with astronomy

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as in refutes

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

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 confounds Then the brutal murder of a young woman ― the latest in a string of deaths across the coast ― confounds police. — Ashlee Conour, Chicago Tribune, 30 Mar. 2026 The dollar’s resilience confounds many investors. — William Pesek, Forbes.com, 11 June 2026 Again, all of this confounds traditional attempts at sense making. — Charlie Warzel, The Atlantic, 4 Sep. 2025 Keywords and concepts are linked to objects and ephemera, which are tagged and cross-referenced in a dense network that both thrills and confounds. — Katherine Rochester, Artforum, 1 Apr. 2026 Onto center stage steps a figure who confounds expectations. — Molly Fischer, New Yorker, 1 Jan. 2026 Mike Reilly No player confounds models on an annual basis more than Reilly. — Dom Luszczyszyn, New York Times, 18 June 2026 Since their vision is not pixel-precise, using web interfaces—which are dynamic, designed for humans, and often include captchas and other anti-bot measures—confounds them. — Tharin Pillay, Time, 4 Nov. 2025 The technology has advanced so quickly, in fact, that its end result — untraceable weapons, assembled from spare parts and plastic frames — often confounds existing laws and presents a unique enforcement problem for authorities. — Jack Crosbie, Rolling Stone, 17 June 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for confounds

Verb

These opportunists drown out the core mission, creating a cacophony of competing voices that confuses donors, crowd the inboxes of CEOs and members of Congress with colliding petitions, and paralyzes meaningful action by draining critical funding and attention away from the truly effective groups.

— Jeffrey Sonnenfeld, Time, 28 June 2026
But nobody confuses Harvard Extension School classes with the real thing.

— Liz Hoffman, semafor.com, 23 June 2026

Definition of confuses

Verb

Graft inquiry embarrasses Zelensky Ukraine’s National Anti-Corruption Bureau and the Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office said in a Telegram announcement that the investigation into Yermak is ongoing.

— Hanna Arhirova, Los Angeles Times, 12 May 2026
Now the technology embarrasses an umpire even more than a player could, and what’s the recourse?

— Jim Alexander, Oc Register, 4 Apr. 2026

Definition of embarrasses

Verb

There is extensive evidence — including Slack and WhatsApp messages, company documents, and witness testimony — that unequivocally refutes her claims.

— Stacy Perman, Los Angeles Times, 22 Apr. 2026
The woman vehemently refutes those claims to ABC News, and claims Aaron knew about her personal history, including marital status.

— ABC News, ABC News, 17 Apr. 2026

Definition of refutes

Verb

This decision overturns a 2001 Supreme Court case that declared the limits on party spending to be constitutional.

— Nina Totenberg, NPR, 30 June 2026
Superior Court Judge Thomas Matthews’ ruling overturns a June 15 decision by Division of Elections Director Carol Beecher to disqualify the challenger and keep him off the primary ballot.

— Becky Bohrer, Los Angeles Times, 27 June 2026

Definition of overturns

Verb

For three years straight, he’s kept up a pace that bewilders the industry’s leading comics.

— Ethan Shanfeld, Variety, 17 June 2026
The narrator and his wife find that their attachment to the charismatic and cryptic Chibi grows with the cat’s increasing visits, in a way that bewilders them but somehow bonds them closer together.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 9 June 2026

Definition of bewilders

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confounding

confounds

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Style

“Confounds.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/confounds. Accessed 7 Jul. 2026.

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Synonyms of confounds

verb

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