confusing 1 of 2

adjective

Definition of confusingnext
1
as in difficult

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2
as in perplexing

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confusing

2 of 2

verb

present participle of confuse
1
as in baffling
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 complicating
to make (something) unclear to the understanding stop confusing the issue with irrelevant facts

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3
as in mistaking
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 embarrassing
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 disrupting
to undo the proper order or arrangement of vandals had hopelessly confused the papers in the office files

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Examples Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for confusing
  1. difficult
  2. perplexing
  3. disrupting
  4. troublesome
  5. baffling
  6. disconcerting
  7. unpleasant
  8. puzzling
Adjective
  • The melodic lines, particularly for brass, are very difficult to navigate.
    Andrew Gilbert, The Mercury News, 13 Nov. 2024
  • Trump’s reelection augurs two trends in U.S. foreign policy that will be difficult to reverse.
    Daniel W. Drezner, Foreign Affairs, 12 Nov. 2024
Definition of difficult
Adjective
  • Your diet beverage is full of a slew of perplexing sugar substitutes, but the regular version has too much sugar to justify drinking it.
    Andrew Watman, Forbes, 31 Oct. 2024
  • These questions have seemed both urgent and perplexing, not only to Ramos but to many others as well; whether Trump will repeat or exceed his performance with Latinos is one of the main unknowns that could determine the outcome of the election.
    Geraldo Cadava, The New Yorker, 9 Oct. 2024
Definition of perplexing
Verb
  • Both the Russian and Ukrainian militaries have successfully achieved standoff through the use of artillery firepower coupled with drone strikes, effectively disrupting their adversary’s offensive operations.
    Vikram Mittal, Forbes, 3 Oct. 2024
  • The 50,000 members of the union working at ports from Maine to Texas have been on strike since early Tuesday morning, halting the flow of the majority of containerized imports into the United States, along with many of the exports, disrupting the sales of American businesses overseas.
    Vanessa Yurkevich, CNN, 3 Oct. 2024
Definition of disrupting
Adjective
  • The problem is particularly troublesome in areas of the country without doctors, nurses, midwives or medical centers specializing in maternity care.
    Erika Edwards, NBC News, 14 Nov. 2024
  • The big issue was that getting to those hard-to-reach areas was troublesome.
    Gieson Cacho, The Mercury News, 28 Oct. 2024
Definition of troublesome
Adjective
  • The little information the police did reveal was often confusing, baffling, even contradictory.
    Aja Romano, Vox, 11 Nov. 2024
  • Walker’s campaign, however, was plagued by controversies and baffling and false statements.
    Ellen Mitchell, The Hill, 4 Nov. 2024
Definition of baffling
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
Definition of disconcerting
Adjective
  • Her pregnancies are painful and unpleasant, especially compared to Lenù’s.
    Rafaela Bassili, Vulture, 7 Nov. 2024
  • One way to avoid unpleasant surprises is to keep your restaurant order simple.
    Sarah Garone, Condé Nast Traveler, 1 Nov. 2024
Definition of unpleasant
Adjective
  • These conflicting versions created a puzzling cognitive dissonance.
    Lane Sainty, The Arizona Republic, 3 Nov. 2024
  • Even just one single vote elicits the most puzzling look on the guy’s face… and a sweet, sweet smile on Sol’s.
    Nick Caruso, TVLine, 23 Oct. 2024
Definition of puzzling
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.

Thesaurus Entries Near confusing

confuses

confusing

confusion

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Cite this Entry

“Confusing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/confusing. Accessed 23 Nov. 2024.

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More from Merriam-Webster on confusing

Nglish: Translation of confusing for Spanish Speakers

Britannica English: Translation of confusing for Arabic Speakers

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