Confound: meaning, example and synonyms

Confoundv. To surprise or confuse someone, especially by acting against their expectations.

Flashcard for Confound (verb): to surprise or confuse someone, especially by acting against their expectations. Example: The bird's ability to find its way home across hundreds of miles of open ocean has long confounded scientists. Synonyms: baffle, bewilder, puzzle, perplex. Antonyms: clarify, enlighten, explain, illuminate. Memory tip: Confound sounds like "confused": it leaves you confused. Illustration: two puzzled scientists scratching their heads while watching a small bird fly confidently over a wide ocean.

Example

The bird's ability to find its way home across hundreds of miles of open ocean has long confounded scientists.

Part of speech
verb
Synonyms
baffle, bewilder, puzzle, perplex
Antonyms
clarify, enlighten, explain, illuminate
Memory tip
Confound sounds like "confused": it leaves you confused.

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Check yourself: Confound in context

Pick the word that best completes each text, as on the SAT's words-in-context questions.

Question 1

The results ______ the researchers, who had expected the cold-water plants to grow more slowly, not faster.

Question 2

The magician's final trick continues to ______ audiences, who cannot work out how the coin passes through solid glass.

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