1
as in to confuse
to throw into a state of mental uncertainty
we were confounded by the player's remote control, which wasn't at all user-friendly
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to embarrass
to throw into a state of self-conscious distress
his renewed popularity has confounded the critics who said his singing career was dead
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in to conflate
to fail to differentiate (a thing) from something similar or related
I think you've confounded astrology with astronomy
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in to refute
to prove to be false
new discoveries that confound much of what archaeologists thought they knew about the Mayan civilization
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of confound
On Wednesday's practice round, Oakmont confounded the 2-time US Open winner.
—
Devlina Sarkar, MSNBC Newsweek, 12 June 2025
Bitcoin has rocketed higher over the last 10 years, confounding its critics and making its mysterious creator Satoshi Nakamoto potentially one of the world’s richest people.
—Billy Bambrough, Forbes.com, 5 July 2025
Just south of Greenland, in the northern Atlantic Ocean, a strange area of water has been confounding scientists for years.
—Sara Hashemi, Smithsonian Magazine, 3 July 2025
Those holdings declined by $17 billion last week and have fallen by $48 billion since late March, just before Trump’s tariffs sparked a confounding bond selloff.
—Greg McKenna, Fortune, 18 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for confound
Devlina Sarkar, MSNBC Newsweek, 12 June 2025
Bitcoin has rocketed higher over the last 10 years, confounding its critics and making its mysterious creator Satoshi Nakamoto potentially one of the world’s richest people.
—Billy Bambrough, Forbes.com, 5 July 2025
Just south of Greenland, in the northern Atlantic Ocean, a strange area of water has been confounding scientists for years.
—Sara Hashemi, Smithsonian Magazine, 3 July 2025
Those holdings declined by $17 billion last week and have fallen by $48 billion since late March, just before Trump’s tariffs sparked a confounding bond selloff.
—Greg McKenna, Fortune, 18 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for confound
Recent Examples of Synonyms for confound
Verb
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Two people can deliver the same message, but their delivery style can make the difference between motivating and confusing a team.—
Kendra MacDonald,
Forbes.com,
23 July 2025
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By 1915, scientists unearthed 2 million bones of large animals from La Brea, and a pattern emerged that both excited and confused them: too many predators.—
Ian Rose,
JSTOR Daily,
23 July 2025
Verb
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Manager Luis Enrique's side then embarrassed Inter Miami 4-0 in the round of 16 and survived two late red cards vs. Bayern Munich to win that quarterfinal battle 2-0. PSG vs. Real Madrid Injury, Suspension, Lineup News: Both teams will be missing key pieces along their back lines today.—
Tyler Everett,
MSNBC Newsweek,
9 July 2025
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The Nuggets, like the current Rockies, were embarrassing themselves regularly before posting an 11-71 record.—
Troy Renck,
Denver Post,
5 July 2025
Verb
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Bondi also said that although the names of several other high-profile figures were mentioned, the investigators did not find a client list or evidence refuting that Epstein died by suicide.—
Jade Walker,
CNN Money,
24 July 2025
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But Hunter was quick to refute this claim, arguing that at large events where the president is meeting several people, introductions are the norm.—
Shania Russell,
EW.com,
21 July 2025
Verb
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At the time, I was perplexed and questioned if this was necessary.—
Susan Horava,
Health,
24 June 2025
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Ultimately, the remaining Islanders dumped Jeremiah and Hannah, a controversial move that left viewers at home perplexed as to why this decision was made.—
Armando Tinoco,
Deadline,
23 June 2025
Verb
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The Department of Justice (DOJ) has called on the Supreme Court to reject an appeal by Ghislaine Maxwell to overturn her conviction.—
Kate Plummer,
MSNBC Newsweek,
15 July 2025
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Six appealed their disqualifications but none of the disqualifications were overturned, the NYPD said in court papers.—
Rocco Parascandola,
New York Daily News,
15 July 2025
Verb
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Still, my friends and I, specifically those who were teen-agers or older at the time of 9/11, have been bewildered by the Islamophobia of the moment, which feels especially vintage and plainspoken, not massaged into obfuscatory rhetoric or angling for any greater point.—
Hanif Abdurraqib,
New Yorker,
13 July 2025
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In the moment, Kyle looked bewildered that the musician had singled him out, smiling with his mouth open in shock.—
Hannah Dailey,
Billboard,
20 May 2025
Verb
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What used to be fringe denialism has evolved into a sophisticated, and increasingly profitable, campaign to discredit science, undermine regulation, and politicize sustainability.—
Felicia Jackson,
Forbes.com,
11 July 2025
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The Chinese Communist Party has waged a decades-long campaign to discredit the current Dalai Lama and erase his presence from Tibetan life, while tightening restrictions on religious and cultural practices.—
Simone McCarthy,
CNN Money,
3 July 2025
Verb
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Money terms and concepts continue to baffle people, many of whom are seeking answers through online searches.—
Russ Wiles,
USA Today,
12 July 2025
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Even with the other guys' admonitions not to, under any circumstances, be themselves, Dee and Charlie's improbable success in charming these scions of the Philly upper crust had the guys — and us — both baffled and anxiously awaiting an ugly twist.—
Dennis Perkins,
EW.com,
10 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Confound.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/confound. Accessed 29 Jul. 2025.
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