as in perplexing
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1
as in baffling
to throw into a state of mental uncertainty
we were confounded by the player's remote control, which wasn't at all user-friendly
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in embarrassing
to throw into a state of self-conscious distress
his renewed popularity has confounded the critics who said his singing career was dead
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in confusing
to fail to differentiate (a thing) from something similar or related
I think you've confounded astrology with astronomy
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in refuting
to prove to be false
new discoveries that confound much of what archaeologists thought they knew about the Mayan civilization
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of confounding
Aramide Tinubu, Variety, 17 Apr. 2026
In 2021, one year into D’Amaro’s tenure and following COVID shutdowns, Disney did away with FastPass and introduced a confounding and very costly series of pay-to-skip passes, which require timing advanced booking of limited slots in these formerly free-to-enter shorter lines.
—Rebecca Alter, Vulture, 5 Feb. 2026
The Eagles were a confounding defending champion throughout the regular season.
—Jeff Howe, New York Times, 5 Jan. 2026
Tuesday will go down as one of Boston’s most confounding losses of the season, a 4-3 defeat in 11 innings to the Baltimore Orioles in which the club went 0 for 13 with runners in scoring position.
—Mac Cerullo, Boston Herald, 22 Aug. 2025
Jack Hamilton, The Atlantic, 28 Apr. 2026
Kaplan mines Mitford’s own writings, her family letters and photos, plus archives to detail each phase of this multifaceted life, illuminating along the way her loves, losses, loyalties and confounding contradictions.
—The Know, Denver Post, 26 Apr. 2026
Deaths from rectal cancer are rising rapidly among younger adults, an alarming trend that is confounding scientists trying to understand why millennials are so hard-hit.
—Erika Edwards, NBC news, 23 Apr. 2026
Trump, in a separate post on Thursday, claimed a leadership rift between moderates and hardliners was confounding Iran.
—Jon Gambrell, Fortune, 23 Apr. 2026
Unlike similar global gatherings, Semafor World Economy is first of all a festival of news, rooted in the revelatory power of good journalism, so our reporters and guest moderators asked challenging questions and hard follow-ups in the hope of understanding how leaders see this confounding moment.
—Ben Smith, semafor.com, 20 Apr. 2026
So far, the city, like the rest of the country, has had a way of confounding them and marching on.
—Mina Al-Oraibi, Time, 14 Apr. 2026
But just a few years later, the sharks started disappearing, confounding scientists and conservationists.
—Michael H Gavshon, CBS News, 12 Apr. 2026
Fertility fell to a record low last year, confounding efforts to shore it up.
—Daniel Moss, Twin Cities, 12 Apr. 2026
Adjective
Grief is one of the most confounding aspects of the human experience.
—Aramide Tinubu, Variety, 17 Apr. 2026
In 2021, one year into D’Amaro’s tenure and following COVID shutdowns, Disney did away with FastPass and introduced a confounding and very costly series of pay-to-skip passes, which require timing advanced booking of limited slots in these formerly free-to-enter shorter lines.
—Rebecca Alter, Vulture, 5 Feb. 2026
The Eagles were a confounding defending champion throughout the regular season.
—Jeff Howe, New York Times, 5 Jan. 2026
Tuesday will go down as one of Boston’s most confounding losses of the season, a 4-3 defeat in 11 innings to the Baltimore Orioles in which the club went 0 for 13 with runners in scoring position.
—Mac Cerullo, Boston Herald, 22 Aug. 2025
Verb
Osmon’s cast of characters sometimes sprawls to confounding breadth, but her linchpin figures are Springsteen, Mellencamp, Seger, and Petty.
—Jack Hamilton, The Atlantic, 28 Apr. 2026
Kaplan mines Mitford’s own writings, her family letters and photos, plus archives to detail each phase of this multifaceted life, illuminating along the way her loves, losses, loyalties and confounding contradictions.
—The Know, Denver Post, 26 Apr. 2026
Deaths from rectal cancer are rising rapidly among younger adults, an alarming trend that is confounding scientists trying to understand why millennials are so hard-hit.
—Erika Edwards, NBC news, 23 Apr. 2026
Trump, in a separate post on Thursday, claimed a leadership rift between moderates and hardliners was confounding Iran.
—Jon Gambrell, Fortune, 23 Apr. 2026
Unlike similar global gatherings, Semafor World Economy is first of all a festival of news, rooted in the revelatory power of good journalism, so our reporters and guest moderators asked challenging questions and hard follow-ups in the hope of understanding how leaders see this confounding moment.
—Ben Smith, semafor.com, 20 Apr. 2026
So far, the city, like the rest of the country, has had a way of confounding them and marching on.
—Mina Al-Oraibi, Time, 14 Apr. 2026
But just a few years later, the sharks started disappearing, confounding scientists and conservationists.
—Michael H Gavshon, CBS News, 12 Apr. 2026
Fertility fell to a record low last year, confounding efforts to shore it up.
—Daniel Moss, Twin Cities, 12 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for confounding
Adjective
-
Our universe is full of mysteries, but few are as perplexing as the dark, tiny galaxies that hover around larger ones like the Milky Way.—
Paul Sutter,
Space.com,
20 Apr. 2026
-
Perhaps the most perplexing part of the Nancy Guthrie investigation for the general public has been the lack of information.—
Lizzie Lanuza,
StyleCaster,
14 Apr. 2026
Verb
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As the castle’s internal order collapses under the weight of a string of baffling crimes, Araki strikes a fragile alliance with Kuroda Kanbei – a razor-minded captive languishing in his own dungeon – in a race to root out a traitor before Oda’s army closes in.—
Naman Ramachandran,
Variety,
14 Apr. 2026
-
This inversion explains a host of baffling political and cultural phenomena of late.—
Spencer Kornhaber,
The Atlantic,
27 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Tragicomedy repeats as embarrassing parody.—
Theater Critic,
Los Angeles Times,
29 Apr. 2026
-
The Charlotte Checkers opened the AHL playoffs with a bang Wednesday, embarrassing the Springfield Thunderbirds in the opening game of the teams’ first-round AHL playoff series in Charlotte.—
Charlotte Observer,
Charlotte Observer,
23 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Welcome to Asking for a Friend, a weekly series dedicated to solving the messy, awkward, and confusing parts of modern friendship.—
Jenna Ryu,
SELF,
22 Apr. 2026
-
But factors like confusing trailheads and limited provisions mean that going alone also comes with unique risks.—
Allison Forsyth,
Health,
21 Apr. 2026
Verb
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That’s not refuting the secrecy.—
Sam McDowell,
Kansas City Star,
23 Apr. 2026
-
Amidst the other claims, this one has hit hard at Beast Industries, and the company got quite personal in refuting it.—
Dominic Patten,
Deadline,
22 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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However, the Echoes From the Past creators made the puzzling and terrifying artistic choice to have VR visitors ride outside the sub during the descent.—
Jordan Runtagh,
PEOPLE,
20 Apr. 2026
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Everyone already knows about the Red Sox’s struggles, especially at the plate, but the Mariners and Tigers’ early slumps have been equally puzzling.—
Mac Cerullo,
Boston Herald,
12 Apr. 2026
Verb
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But even more than engaging the big ideas that Emma’s revelation triggers — pun somewhat intended — Lee and Borli wanted to craft an experience that would mimic its main characters’ bewildering interiority.—
Sarah Shachat,
IndieWire,
6 Apr. 2026
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There aren’t many ways to earn a club’s first win better than bewildering the league’s defending champions at their place.—
Braidon Nourse,
Denver Post,
26 Mar. 2026
Verb
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There was also some disconcerting history to consider.—
Mike Wall,
Space.com,
17 Apr. 2026
-
There’s a lot of disconcerting news about AI in journalism lately.—
Theresa Gaffney,
STAT,
5 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Confounding.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/confounding. Accessed 1 May. 2026.
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