verb
confuse
kuhn-FYOOZ
verb
1
To make someone unable to understand or think clearly.
"The conflicting instructions confused everyone in the meeting."
"Don't confuse the new starters with too much jargon on day one."
2
To mistake one thing for another.
"People often confuse the twins because they look so alike."
3
To make someone feel embarrassed or flustered.
"His blunt question clearly confused her."
How to Use Confuse
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishTo muddle someone's understanding, or to mix two things up.
Easily confused with
Common pairings
confuse someone with
confuse X for Y
easy to confuse
Word Forms
more confuse comparative, confused past tense, confuses singular, most confuse superlative
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The conflicting instructions _____ everyone in the meeting.
Etymology
A back-formation from "confused", ultimately from Latin confundere ("to pour together, mix up").