confused 1 of 2

adjective

kən-ˈfyüzd How to pronounce confused (audio)
Definition of confusednext
1
as in messy
lacking in order, neatness, and often cleanliness the cans were lying in a confused jumble in the basement

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2
as in bewildered
suffering from mental confusion she was briefly confused after her fall from the horse

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confused

2 of 2

verb

past tense of confuse
1
as in puzzled
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 complicated
to make (something) unclear to the understanding stop confusing the issue with irrelevant facts

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3
as in mistook
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 embarrassed
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 disrupted
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 confused
Adjective
In a recent interview, the girl told our reporters that she was confused when the officer detained her. — Kristian Hernández, San Antonio Express-News, 15 Oct. 2026 Some Colorado State University students say they were left confused and frightened Monday evening after a police shooting on campus. — Christa Swanson, CBS News, 14 Oct. 2026
Verb
Symptoms of lung cancer can include coughing, shortness of breath, overwhelming fatigue and pain in the back, chest or shoulder, which could be confused for other ailments. — Estelamari Rodriguez, The Conversation, 14 Oct. 2026 The family said they've been shocked and confused ever since. — Liz Crawford, CBS News, 14 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for confused
Recent Examples of Synonyms for confused
  1. messy
  2. bewildered
  3. puzzled
  4. complicated
  5. mistook
  6. embarrassed
  7. disrupted
  8. chaotic
Adjective
  • In art, as in life, the messy materiality of flesh fazes me not one whit.
    — Eugenie Brinkema, ARTnews.com, 17 Oct. 2026
  • View gallery - 4 images For all the extraordinary things that consumer 3D printers can produce, changing color has remained a surprisingly messy business.
    — New Atlas, New Atlas, 17 Oct. 2026
Definition of messy
Adjective
  • They were soon surrounded by a crowd of about 1,000 bewildered villagers, who alerted forest officials patrolling nearby.
    — Rhea Mogul, CNN Money, 14 Oct. 2026
  • What appears before the bewildered trio is a boy with a face resembling a frog’s, named Fūsuke.
    — Jennifer Maas, Variety, 10 Oct. 2026
Definition of bewildered
Verb
  • That the Houthis are able to score hits from 500 miles away, despite the Saudi military spending tens of billions of dollars on multi-layered air defense systems, has puzzled experts.
    — Nabih Bulos, Los Angeles Times, 13 Oct. 2026
  • He was puzzled when, after 2021, the number of children going into foster care dropped, but the state's costs for child welfare were rising.
    — Joseph Shapiro, NPR, 30 Sep. 2026
Definition of puzzled
Verb
  • Human biology is complicated, which is why most substances that show promise in early experiments fail in clinical trials.
    — Amy Maxmen, Miami Herald, 19 Oct. 2026
  • Search data suggests the answer is complicated enough to send thousands of people to Google every year.
    — Samantha Agate, Sacbee.com, 19 Oct. 2026
Definition of complicated
Verb
  • In their petitions, several immigrants said that officers mistook them for the aggressor.
    — Melissa Sanchez, ProPublica, 14 Oct. 2026
  • Jensen Huang has argued that the doomsayers mistook the task of reading scans for the whole job.
    — Han Wang, Fortune, 9 Oct. 2026
Definition of mistook
Verb
  • In the 2024 playoffs, Green Bay went into Dallas and embarrassed the Cowboys in a 48-32 rout.
    — Andy Scholes, CNN Money, 15 Oct. 2026
  • Philadelphia embarrassed itself in a non-competitive loss at Chicago on Monday night, unable to go drive-for-drive with journeyman quarterback Case Keenum, a 38-year-old backup’s backup.
    — Andy Behrens, New York Times, 2 Oct. 2026
Definition of embarrassed
Verb
  • When those signals are blocked, disrupted or deliberately jammed, vehicles may need other methods to maintain reliable navigation.
    — Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 17 Oct. 2026
  • While the restorations are only to the marble surface of the building, the meticulous nature of the job would have disrupted all aspects of the Plaza experience for would-be guests.
    — Timothy Latterner, Condé Nast Traveler, 16 Oct. 2026
Definition of disrupted
Adjective
  • Week 7 of the 2026 college football season will go down as one of the most chaotic ever, with five Top 10 teams suffering losses, and the newest AP Top 25 Poll reflects the craziness that unfolded.
    — Mark Harris OutKick, FOXNews.com, 18 Oct. 2026
  • While the weather painted a chaotic picture, stories from Malibu residents were of neighbors coming together as a community in a way only the specter of disaster could prompt.
    — Noah Haggerty, Los Angeles Times, 17 Oct. 2026
Definition of chaotic

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confused
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Cite this Entry

“Confused.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/confused. Accessed 21 Oct. 2026.

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