confound
verb
transitive verb
T. B. Macaulay John Kenneth Galbraith 
Synonyms
- addle
- baffle
- bamboozle
- beat
- befog
- befuddle
- bemuse
- bewilder
- buffalo
- confuse
- discombobulate
- disorient
- flummox
- fox
- fuddle
- get
- gravel
- maze
- muddle
- muddy
- mystify
- perplex
- pose
- puzzle
- vex
Example Sentences
Sean Mcfate, WSJ, 12 Apr. 2022 After a truly awkward June for the world’s Wordle players, the five-letter daily puzzler–which remains the second most popular game globally among the Twitter gaming community–continues to confound users of the social media platform. Matt Gardner, Forbes, 2 Aug. 2022 The morphable character of crypto tokens will confound cookie-cutter application of the regulated security definition. J.w. Verret, WSJ, 2 Aug. 2022 To its credit, the movie does somewhat confound our expectations. Eben Weiss, Outside Online, 21 June 2022 Whereas some adversarial attacks seek to disrupt or confound the AI, another equally if not more insidious form of deception involves getting the AI to act on the behalf of the attacker. Lance Eliot, Forbes, 16 May 2022 Do not confound today’s AI with an unknown and fantastical kind of future AI. Lance Eliot, Forbes, 2 May 2022 Sixty percent of Americans, including 75 percent of children, had been infected with the coronavirus by February, federal health officials reported on Tuesday — another remarkable milestone in a pandemic that continues to confound expectations. New York Times, 26 Apr. 2022 Batman's Harley Quinn arrives with some cool toys and surprise moves, like a dash-and-punch-back special attack that puts players into position to confound opponents. Sam Machkovech, Ars Technica, 19 May 2022 See More Word History
Middle English confounden "to defeat, destroy, frustrate, bewilder," borrowed from Anglo-French confondre, going back to Latin confundere "to pour together, blend, bring into disorder, destroy, disconcert," from con- con- + fundere "to pour, shed" — more at found entry 5
14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 5b
Kids Definition
confound
verb
confound
verb
Synonyms & Similar Words
- perplex
- confuse
- bewilder
- baffle
- puzzle
- befuddle
- mystify
- embarrass
- bemuse
- vex
- disorient
- disturb
- bother
- muddle
- stun
- bamboozle
- flummox
- fluster
- rattle
- discombobulate
- pose
- maze
- addle
- fuddle
- muddy
- befog
- upset
- fox
- unsettle
- buffalo
- gravel
- beat
- get
- disconcert
- discomfit
- deceive
- blow one's mind
- stick
- perturb
- distress
- mortify
- stump
- mislead
- agitate
- faze
- abash
- nonplus
- unhinge
- beguile
- dismay
- fool
- delude
- discountenance
- go to one's head
- chagrin
- misguide
- trick
- discomfort
- discompose
- disquiet
- weird out
- hoodwink
- dupe
- humbug
- cozen
- hoax
- gull
- snow
- take in
- string along
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- assure
- satisfy
- inform
- reassure
- enlighten
Synonyms & Similar Words
- embarrass
- confuse
- fluster
- bother
- unsettle
- disconcert
- disturb
- rattle
- discomfit
- mortify
- upset
- humiliate
- perturb
- faze
- abash
- nonplus
- distress
- discountenance
- dismay
- discomfort
- chagrin
- shame
- disquiet
- agitate
- unhinge
- demean
- humble
- debase
- degrade
- discompose
- queer
- put off
- put out
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- relieve
- soothe
- encourage
- comfort
- calm
- assure
- console
- cheer
- reassure
- embolden
- hearten
- buoy
Synonyms & Similar Words
- confuse
- conflate
- mistake
- misidentify
- misapply
- misname
- mix (up)
- miscall
- lump (together)
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- distinguish
- difference
- differentiate
- discriminate
- separate
Synonyms & Similar Words
- refute
- overturn
- discredit
- confute
- disprove
- challenge
- falsify
- debunk
- belie
- disconfirm
- rebut
- discuss
- shoot down
- doubt
- question
- overthrow
- mistrust
- contest
- give the lie to
- debate
- talk over
- query
- moot
- hash (over)
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- prove
- establish
- confirm
- validate
- verify
- show
- support
- identify
- record
- witness
- evince
- demonstrate
- document
- illustrate
- substantiate
- corroborate
- manifest
- evidence
- certify
- back (up)
- display
- buttress
- adduce
- attest
- authenticate
Synonym Chooser
Some common synonyms of confound are bewilder, distract, dumbfound, nonplus, perplex, and puzzle. While all these words mean "to baffle and disturb mentally," confound implies temporary mental paralysis caused by astonishment or profound abasement.
In some situations, the words bewilder and confound are roughly equivalent. However, bewilder stresses a confusion of mind that hampers clear and decisive thinking.
While the synonyms distract and confound are close in meaning, distract implies agitation or uncertainty induced by conflicting preoccupations or interests.
The words dumbfound and confound are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, dumbfound suggests intense but momentary confounding; often the idea of astonishment is so stressed that it becomes a near synonym of astound.
The synonyms nonplus and confound are sometimes interchangeable, but nonplus implies a bafflement that makes orderly planning or deciding impossible.
The meanings of perplex and confound largely overlap; however, perplex adds a suggestion of worry and uncertainty especially about making a necessary decision.
The words puzzle and confound can be used in similar contexts, but puzzle implies existence of a problem difficult to solve.