confounded 1 of 2

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as in perplexed
faced with difficulty or uncertainty about what to say, think, or do the sudden burden of familial responsibility has left him anxious and confounded

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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confounded

2 of 2

verb

past tense of confound
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as in confused
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

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Examples 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 confounded
Adjective
The displeasure of it gave way to absurdity, out of which emerged a mutual, confounded glee. Kent Russell, Harper's Magazine, 15 Sep. 2020 In Europe itself, Greece has so far confounded predictions by avoiding the kind of mass outbreaks that have claimed tens of thousands of lives in Italy, France, and Britain. Ned Temko, The Christian Science Monitor, 6 May 2020 And with wild swings on Tuesday, the markets proved those predictions correct, a marker of how confounded investors appear as the covid-19 economic crisis takes a fuller form. Jacob Bogage, BostonGlobe.com, 31 Mar. 2020 The Germans are no less confounded than the Democrats. Susan B. Glasser, The New Yorker, 14 June 2019 Learn how to work the confounded thing at free Android smartphone workshops being held in South Florida, sponsored by the American Association of Retired Persons. Doreen Christensen, Sun-Sentinel.com, 9 Mar. 2018 For decades, recovery stories like this confounded researchers, who characterized autism as a lifelong condition. Brendan Borrell, Slate Magazine, 22 Sep. 2017
Verb
The music industry was confounded. Hazlitt, 11 Dec. 2024 The album confounded some critics upon its release, but was roundly embraced by fans as their favorite artist’s most unguarded statement to date. Jason Lipshutz, Billboard, 19 Dec. 2024 Strands, our word search puzzle game, has confounded and enthralled solvers. New York Times, 18 Dec. 2024 One of these was Dylan’s close friend Pete Seeger, the elder statesman of folk and roots music who’s played in the film by Edward Norton as a kindly patriarch who is confounded by Dylan’s betrayal. Antonia Blyth, Deadline, 16 Dec. 2024 The response confounded experts who spoke with ProPublica, who said such an approach misunderstands the long-term nature of his condition. Annie Waldman, CNN, 14 Dec. 2024 Wake Forest confounded the Stanford women’s soccer team once again on Friday. Laurence Miedema, The Mercury News, 7 Dec. 2024 And there was always a green salad served with a selection of oil, vinegar, and seasonings so everyone at the table could dress their own (a method that confounded me, the child of a balsamic vinaigrette lover). Ellen Fort, Saveur, 3 Oct. 2024 On her debut, Minaj rapped ferociously and sang earnestly – sometimes in the same song – a combination of skills that, coupled with the sparkly beats of Drew Money, Swizz Beatz, and Pop & Oak, confounded those who encountered her on a vibe closer to The Come Up DVD. Kyle Denis, Billboard, 1 Oct. 2024
Recent Examples of Synonyms for confounded
Adjective
  • Any preconceived notion of a cursed franchise faded away.
    Ben Standig, The Athletic, 30 Dec. 2024
  • An offense so defined by injuries the whole campaign was taking on a cursed feel.
    Adam Grosbard, Orange County Register, 29 Dec. 2024
Adjective
  • He’s likewise perplexed that heavy industry is to be entrusted with solving the climate crisis.
    Brandon Loomis, The Arizona Republic, 19 Dec. 2024
  • But something’s also got Kat looking very perplexed, and given that this is The Way Home, the mysterious source of her confusion could be anything from a time-travel twist to a relationship speedbump.
    Vlada Gelman, TVLine, 15 Dec. 2024
Adjective
  • Yes, Sam Darnold looked bewildered against Detroit in the regular season finale, and that conjures all sorts of lingering doubts.
    Jordan Brenner, The Athletic, 10 Jan. 2025
  • The Maryland Zoo in Baltimore brought different weapons to this cute fight: bobcat Kilgore and otter Brie, both seeming a little bewildered by the powder that surrounded them today.
    NBC News, NBC News, 7 Jan. 2025
Verb
  • Many people get confused by these forms which contain code and jargon that rarely offer a clear explanation of anything.
    Steve Weisman, Forbes, 23 Dec. 2024
  • Not to be confused with DEI training, skill building is a way to help people improve their communication skills, negotiation style and overall understanding of relevant topics, all while leveling up professionally.
    Doug Melville, Forbes, 21 Dec. 2024
Verb
  • There are competing stories that the Los Angeles Angels offered Kim a five-year, $28 million guarantee, but Jeff Fletcher of the Orange County Register has refuted that report.
    Dan Freedman, Forbes, 4 Jan. 2025
  • The White House, through White House Deputy Press Secretary Andrew Bates, refuted many of the claims the Journal made, insisting that Biden would meet often with his Cabinet members and their teams.
    Gord Magill, Newsweek, 19 Dec. 2024
Adjective
  • Now, a development that once baffled educators and administrators is ready to go mainstream.
    Lexi Lonas Cochran, The Hill, 31 Dec. 2024
  • Other stories explore similar themes in equally bizarre situations: In 1880s London, a very suave Joseph Merrick, aka The Elephant Man, flirts shamelessly with the smitten wife of his very baffled doctor (Goldsberry and Kind, respectively).
    Greg Evans, Deadline, 22 Dec. 2024
Adjective
  • American Primeval’s second episode wastes no time, picking up mere moments after the end of the premiere, which left a dazed Jacob looking for his wife in the middle of a field filled with dead bodies.
    Keith Phipps, Vulture, 9 Jan. 2025
  • Other tribes of music-heads danced through dawn on muddy hillsides, barely sleeping or eating through the driving rain, dazed but giddy to take part in a massive, improbable event.
    Phillip Valys, Sun Sentinel, 9 Jan. 2025
Verb
  • The industry has a strong history of fighting warning labels that mention cancer, and alcohol-producing nations have also challenged warning labels under international trade law.
    Roni Caryn Rabin, New York Times, 3 Jan. 2025
  • Newer scientific studies have criticized the methodology of earlier studies, however, and have challenged that view, which was once a consensus.
    Roni Caryn Rabin, New York Times, 3 Jan. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Confounded.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/confounded. Accessed 22 Jan. 2025.

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