Conflate vs. Confuse — What's the Difference?
Difference Between Conflate and Confuse
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Definitions
Conflate
Combine (two or more sets of information, texts, ideas, etc.) into one
The urban crisis conflates a number of different economic, political, and social issues
Confuse
Make (someone) bewildered or perplexed
Past and present blurred together, confusing her still further
Conflate
To bring together; meld or fuse
"The problems [with the biopic] include ... dates moved around, lovers deleted, many characters conflated into one" (Ty Burr).
Confuse
To cause to be unable to think with clarity or act with intelligence or understanding; bewilder or perplex.
Conflate
To combine (two variant texts, for example) into one whole.
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Confuse
(Archaic) To cause to feel embarrassment.
Conflate
To fail to distinguish between; confuse. See Usage Note below.
Confuse
To fail to differentiate (one person or thing) from another
Confused effusiveness with affection.
Conflate
To bring (things) together and fuse (them) into a single entity.
Confuse
To make more complex or difficult to understand
"The old labels ... confuse debate instead of clarifying it" (Christopher Lasch).
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Conflate
To mix together different elements.
Confuse
To make something unclear or incomprehensible
A new tax code that only confuses.
Conflate
(by extension) To fail to properly distinguish or keep separate (things); to mistakenly treat (them) as equivalent.
“Bacon was Lord Chancellor of England and the first European to experiment with gunpowder.” — “No, you are conflating Francis Bacon and Roger Bacon.”
Confuse
(transitive) to puzzle, perplex, baffle, bewilder somebody; to afflict by being complicated, contradictory, or otherwise difficult to understand
It confused me when I went to the office and nobody was there, but then I realised it was Sunday.
Conflate
Combining elements from multiple versions of the same text.
Confuse
(transitive) To mix up, muddle up one thing with another; to mistake one thing for another.
People who say "hola" to Italians are confusing Italian with Spanish.
Conflate
(biblical criticism) A conflate text, one which conflates multiple version of a text together.
Confuse
(transitive) To mix thoroughly; to confound; to disorder.
Conflate
To blow together; to bring together; to collect; to fuse together; to join or weld; to consolidate.
The State-General, created and conflated by the passionate effort of the whole nation.
Confuse
To make uneasy and ashamed; to embarrass.
Conflate
To ignore distinctions between, by treating two or more distinguishable objects or ideas as one; to confuse.
Confuse
To rout; discomfit.
Conflate
Mix together different elements;
The colors blend well
Confuse
(intransitive) To be confused.
Confuse
Mixed; confounded.
Confuse
To mix or blend so that things can not be distinguished; to jumble together; to confound; to render indistinct or obscure; as, to confuse accounts; to confuse one's vision.
A universal hubbub wildOf stunning sounds and voices all confused.
Confuse
To perplex; to disconcert; to abash; to cause to lose self-possession.
Nor thou with shadowed hint confuseA life that leads melodious days.
Confused and sadly she at length replied.
Confuse
Mistake one thing for another;
You are confusing me with the other candidate
I mistook her for the secretary
Confuse
Be confusing or perplexing to; cause to be unable to think clearly;
These questions confuse even the experts
This question completely threw me
This question befuddled even the teacher
Confuse
Cause to feel embarrassment;
The constant attention of the young man confused her
Confuse
Assemble without order or sense;
She jumbles the words when she is supposed to write a sentence
Confuse
Make unclear or incomprehensible;
The new tax return forms only confuse
Confuse
Make unclear, indistinct, or blurred;
Her remarks confused the debate
Their words obnubilate their intentions
