con
fuse
Third Person
confuses
Present Participle
confusing
Past Tense
confused
Past Participle
confused
1
to misunderstand or mistake a thing as something else or a person for someone else
transitive
- She confused her coworker's instructions with those of her manager, leading to a mix-up in the project requirements.
- I accidentally confused the dates of the meetings and missed the first one.
- His thick accent occasionally led people to confuse his words, resulting in humorous misunderstandings during conversations.
- She confused the two sisters, thinking one was the other.
- They confused the terms during the discussion, leading to a lot of misunderstandings.
Synonyms:
2
to make someone uncertain or unclear about something, causing them unable to understand it
transitive
- The complicated instructions confused the students during the experiment.
- The conflicting information in the report confused the readers.
- His vague explanations only served to confuse the audience further.
- The sudden change in plans confused everyone involved.
- The complex technical terms used in the presentation confused the attendees.
3
to make something harder to understand by adding complexity
transitive
- The new instructions only confused the process, making it harder to follow.
- The detailed explanation seemed to confuse the issue rather than clarify it.
- His overcomplicated answer only served to confuse the simple question.
- She tried to simplify the instructions, but the extra details just confused them.
- The unexpected twist in the story confused the plot, making it hard to follow.
4
to combine or arrange things in a disorganized or chaotic manner
transitive
- He confused the puzzle pieces, making it impossible to put it together.
- The children confused their toys, leaving a huge mess in the living room.
- The files were confused on the desk, and he couldn’t locate the one he needed.
- The books on the shelf were confused, making it hard to find the right one.
- The laundry was confused into a heap of mismatched socks and shirts.
5
to cause someone to feel embarrassed, awkward, or self-conscious
transitive
- The unexpected compliment confused her, making her blush.
- The mistake during her presentation confused her, leaving her flustered.
- The attention from the crowd confused him, causing him to stumble over his words.
- His awkward question seemed to confuse her, making her avoid eye contact.
- The unexpected praise from her boss confused her, causing her to look down.
Synonyms: