confusing 1 of 2

confusing

2 of 2

verb

present participle of confuse
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2
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as in mistaking
to fail to differentiate (a thing) from something similar or related a lot of people confuse popular fame with enduring achievement

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for confusing
Adjective
  • But their happy romance is soon demolished when Jenny reappears in their lives, thrusting all three into a difficult and messy journey towards true accountability and adulthood.
    Anthony D'Alessandro, Deadline, 7 Mar. 2025
  • These protein complexes are highly shape-shifting, making traditional imaging methods very difficult.
    Priyanka Naik, The Conversation, 7 Mar. 2025
Adjective
  • This perplexing synergy triggers everything from mixed signals and missed messages to an overwhelming feeling that something’s just a bit… off.
    Valerie Mesa, People.com, 19 Feb. 2025
  • In almost no time Sophie and Laura had managed to untie one knot, only to find a tighter and far more perplexing one at its center.
    Hannah Gold, Harper's Magazine, 19 Feb. 2025
Verb
  • Protests keep disrupting life in Dhaka, the capital.
    Saif Hasnat Atul Loke, New York Times, 24 Dec. 2024
  • For example, Russian GPS jamming near Kaliningrad in 2023 affected over 46,000 flights to and from Europe, disrupting civilian and military operations alike.
    Jack Hidary, Forbes, 23 Dec. 2024
Adjective
  • The instruments aboard Firefly's lander include a subsurface drill, an X-ray imager, and an experimental electrodynamic dust shield to test methods of repelling troublesome lunar dust from accumulating on sensitive spacecraft components.
    Kristin Shaw, Ars Technica, 27 Feb. 2025
  • What’s new in season eight is the show’s shift toward depicting phones as active and troublesome disrupters of a relationship that might have otherwise been perfectly fine.
    Kathryn VanArendonk, Vulture, 26 Feb. 2025
Adjective
  • One huge factor here is that Wilds did not have a somewhat baffling Switch-only launch like Rise did, accounting for almost all of this huge sales gap.
    Paul Tassi, Forbes, 4 Mar. 2025
  • Even more baffling: Lemons went back to work just three weeks later!
    Sydney Bucksbaum, EW.com, 28 Feb. 2025
Verb
  • Russia was becoming more closed, and this was disconcerting for a generation that had grown up in a modernized and relatively open society.
    Andrei Kolesnikov, Foreign Affairs, 15 Oct. 2024
  • Calculations on how many homeowners are at risk and how many are covered vary, but all are disconcerting.
    Kate Gibson, CBS News, 4 Oct. 2024
Verb
  • Experts warn that an afternoon or evening coffee could disrupt your circadian rhythm, disturbing your sleep.
    Jenna Anderson, Health, 7 Jan. 2025
  • The Piano Teacher asks you (and teaches you) to stick with disturbing moments and unpleasant characters.
    Ilana Masad, The Atlantic, 3 Jan. 2025
Adjective
  • This can be an unpleasant odor for humans to encounter, but the critters in the video seem enthusiastic about interacting with the eau de skunk.
    Amanda Kooser, Forbes, 25 Feb. 2025
  • These days however, an all-white or all-gray bathroom can act as an unpleasant symbol of an outdated trend, and may seem seriously lacking in pizazz.
    Hallie Milstein, Southern Living, 25 Feb. 2025
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.

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Cite this Entry

“Confusing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/confusing. Accessed 12 Mar. 2025.

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