conflating

verb

present participle of conflate
1
as in confusing
to fail to differentiate (a thing) from something similar or related be careful not to conflate gossip with real news

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in combining
to turn into a single mass or entity that is more or less the same throughout the movie conflates documentary footage and dramatized reenactments so seamlessly and ingeniously that viewers may not know what is real and what is not

Synonyms & Similar Words

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 conflating This fall, make sure one of those conversations is about sports prediction markets and the risks of conflating gambling with investing. — Emily Stack, Hartford Courant, 23 Aug. 2026 Numerous industry sources have expressed concern over Ruffalo’s conflating the merger with anti-Israel sentiments. — Matt Donnelly, Variety, 22 Aug. 2026 Nearly every day brings some new development conflating the conflicts. — Jemele Hill, The Atlantic, 21 Aug. 2026 Trump, in the post, is conflating the Reflecting Pool damage with an apparent marking of the number 8647 on the nearby National Mall last month. — Greg Evans, Deadline, 1 Aug. 2026 During closing arguments, prosecutors said the defense was conflating the timeline and evidence presented during Colt Gray's criminal case with the evidence introduced during Colin Gray's trial. — Dan Raby, CBS News, 30 July 2026 Stability and safety are not the same thing, and conflating them is one of the most expensive mistakes in portfolio construction. — Andrew Sukhin, Forbes.com, 22 July 2026 The report also continues PEN America’s work, begun in 2016, of conflating Zionism with Jewish identity, a critical argument in Title VI civil rights claims used to argue that BDS is harassment. — Literary Hub, 17 July 2026 However, Zubkov cautions against conflating brain activation with dementia prevention. — Stephanie Anderson Witmer, Health, 3 July 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for conflating
  1. confusing
  2. combining
  3. mistaking
  4. mixing
  5. integrating
  6. merging
  7. blending
  8. amalgamating
Verb
  • Then began the desperate, confusing search for their colleagues.
    — Ross Adkin, CNN Money, 30 Aug. 2026
  • Summary Founders frequently misjudge their business's worth, often confusing revenue with actual value.
    — Lien De Pau, Forbes.com, 29 Aug. 2026
Definition of confusing
Verb
  • The calculation refers to nominal total returns, combining coupon income and changes in the bond's market price.
    — Lee Ying Shan, CNBC, 3 Sep. 2026
  • By combining central load absorption, multi-axis flexibility, and active retraction control, the Robotrax system offers plant engineers and system integrators a reliable path toward maximizing robot uptime and reducing total operational costs.
    — IEEE Spectrum, IEEE Spectrum, 3 Sep. 2026
Definition of combining
Verb
  • Parton played herself in the 2005 follow-up to 2000’s Miss Congeniality, which featured a scene where Bullock’s character, FBI agent Gracie Hart, tackles and straddles the country music legend—mistaking her for a Vegas impersonator.
    — Leigh Blickley, Entertainment Weekly, 27 Aug. 2026
  • There’s no mistaking the pop sensibilities that made this song cross over for the country star, from the Carpenters-worthy soft-pop charm of that piano intro to the lush orchestration on the bridge.
    — Ed Masley, USA Today, 26 Aug. 2026
Definition of mistaking
Verb
  • Veteran Emari Demercado should start the season as the third-down passing back, with Brashard Smith mixing in as a gadget piece and kick returner.
    — Kansas City Star, Kansas City Star, 29 Aug. 2026
  • Trying to fit Hinduism into Western categories of theisms diverges from the tradition’s diverse history of ideas while mixing internal understandings with European perspectives and categories.
    — Encyclopedia Britannica, Encyclopedia Britannica, 28 Aug. 2026
Definition of mixing
Verb
  • Galileo also argues that integrating hardware and control technologies can simplify deployment and reduce the complexity of coordinating multiple machines throughout their operating lifecycles.
    — Jijo Malayil, Interesting Engineering, 2 Sep. 2026
  • Workforce agencies can prioritize high-impact improvements, such as digitizing intake, automating eligibility workflows, improving document management or integrating with employer and workforce systems.
    — Paul Toomey, Forbes.com, 2 Sep. 2026
Definition of integrating
Verb
  • Was Zeuxis’s imitation in this instance a case of gathering (breaking up the models, then collecting and aggregating pieces) or a case of transformation (merging and blending some parts or traits into a smooth and seamless new whole)?
    — Mario Carpo, Artforum, 1 Sep. 2026
  • Her retro style has become something of a signature, merging retro silhouettes with modern fabrics and textures.
    — Amina Ayoud, Footwear News, 30 Aug. 2026
Definition of merging
Verb
  • Nike’s athletes’ kits this season were inspired by basketball, presenting a unique sartorial challenge blending the two distinct on-court sports.
    — Alexandra Hildreth, Vogue, 1 Sep. 2026
  • Was Zeuxis’s imitation in this instance a case of gathering (breaking up the models, then collecting and aggregating pieces) or a case of transformation (merging and blending some parts or traits into a smooth and seamless new whole)?
    — Mario Carpo, Artforum, 1 Sep. 2026
Definition of blending
Verb
  • To Coimbra, some key questions involved amalgamating real-life characters into fictionalized ones while still honoring victims and survivors, as well as faithfully recreating the look and feel of the time.
    — Rafa Sales Ross, Variety, 6 Apr. 2026
  • By amalgamating these museological devices into the artwork, Aram directly upsets the threefold impulse to pierce form with meaning, to arrest color with identity, and to neutralize bodies with limits.
    — Julian Stern, Artforum, 24 Mar. 2026
Definition of amalgamating

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Cite this Entry

“Conflating.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/conflating. Accessed 4 Sep. 2026.

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