CONFUSES Synonyms: 181 Similar and Opposite Words

confuses

verb

present tense third-person singular of confuse

as in perplexes

to throw into a state of mental uncertainty the similar-sounding words "censure" and "censor" often confuse people

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as in complicates

to make (something) unclear to the understanding stop confusing the issue with irrelevant facts

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in mistakes

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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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in embarrasses

to throw into a state of self-conscious distress she was confused by the shocking bluntness of his marriage proposal

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in disrupts

to undo the proper order or arrangement of vandals had hopelessly confused the papers in the office files

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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 confuses The legal system dehumanizes her, the support group confuses her, and one of her friends painfully disappoints her. — Carey Purcell, Vogue, 2 Oct. 2026 This confuses each Nyota but also those around them, who note that the Nyotas have rather quickly assumed new hairstyles but also that neither is behaving quite like herself. — Keith Phipps, Vulture, 24 Sep. 2026 Retreat to the previous paragraph if the question confuses you. — John Tamny, Forbes.com, 18 Aug. 2026 Any adversary who confuses media noise with American weakness will discover the truth the hard way. — Michael Loria, USA Today, 7 Aug. 2026 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 If a neighbor or sibling confuses the thread, summarize and invite a decision. — Tarot.com, Sun Sentinel, 22 June 2026 The whole concept of toxic fandom confuses me because, outside of the anger and backwards thinking, because who cares about a movie franchise that much? — Mikey O'Connell, HollywoodReporter, 4 June 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for confuses

Verb

This sort of manipulation produces volatility and perplexes markets.

— Steve H. Hanke, Fortune, 4 Aug. 2026
But the unknown in that equation is what perplexes the Mavericks and has the team stuck for now.

— Tim Cowlishaw, Dallas Morning News, 1 Jan. 2026

Definition of perplexes

Verb

Hyun-tae has long been convinced that romance only complicates life.

— Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 21 Oct. 2026
Trump’s post outlining a clear plan for construction complicates a federal court hearing scheduled for Monday in a lawsuit filed by the DC Preservation League and two golfers opposing the construction.

— ABC News, ABC News, 18 Oct. 2026

Definition of complicates

Verb

Or from locking up Mick Cronin through 2030, even though UCLA’s prickly basketball coach embarrasses the university annually and hasn’t reached a Sweet 16 since 2023.

— Mirjam Swanson, Los Angeles Times, 1 Sep. 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

As fans of the comedian know, Ali G is a streetwise interviewer whose hip hop slang often bewilders guests such as Noam Chomsky, Andy Rooney and Newt Gingrich.

— Brent Lang, Variety, 7 July 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

Verb

Having first revealed her AMD diagnosis in 2012, which is a disease that blurs a person’s central vision by causing damage to the macula, Dench has discussed her potential retirement in recent years.

— Glenn Garner, Deadline, 23 Oct. 2026
And again, that just blurs the lines between what things are supposed to be.

— Brian Hiatt, Rolling Stone, 23 Oct. 2026

Definition of blurs

Verb

Livia’s unease informs her skepticism of politics; in linking the two, Kingsolver conflates class and culture, using the former as an excuse for what really just seems to be Livia’s constitutional conservatism.

— Sam Worley, Vulture, 5 Oct. 2026
Losing the ability to speak and move has taught me how quickly society conflates physical dependence with diminished personhood.

— Christopher Campos, STAT, 3 Aug. 2026

Definition of conflates

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confusedness

confuses

confusing

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“Confuses.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/confuses. Accessed 28 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of confuses

verb

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