Confound

medium

kun-FOWND

verb

Definition

to confuse or perplex; to mix up or thwart

Examples

The results confounded the researchers, who had predicted the opposite.
She confounded her critics by winning the race they said she'd lose.

Synonyms

perplexbewilderconfusebaffle

Antonyms

clarifyenlightenexplainelucidate

Categories

GRE Tip

Confound is a medium-difficulty GRE word. On the GRE, you might see it paired with synonyms like "perplex" or "bewilder" in Sentence Equivalence questions. Look for contrast clues (however, despite, although) that signal the opposite meaning. Words like "clarify".

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