confounding
perplexing or bewildering: He’s hosting an evening of readings from some of the most sensational and confounding cases of Sherlock Holmes.
throwing someone or something into confusion or disorder: Still in shock, his wife broke the confounding news that their only son had been killed by a stray bullet.
Statistics. interacting with both the dependent and independent variables in an experiment or study, making it impossible to determine a causal effect between them:The authors list potential confounding factors, but it is not clear from the paper whether all of these were controlled for in the analyses.
the act of perplexing, bewildering, causing confusion or disorder, etc.: The Jaredite civilization is supposed to have formed in the wake of the miraculous confounding of languages at the Tower of Babel.
the act of treating or viewing different things as if they were the same: I have always found the confounding of Christmas and Hanukkah disturbing.
Origin of confounding
1Other words from confounding
- con·found·ing·ly, adverb
- un·con·found·ing, adjective
- un·con·found·ing·ly, adverb
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024
How to use confounding in a sentence
He clearly stated a motive that remains confoundingly unclear in its origin.
Terry Lee Loewen, the Mellow Kansas Man Who Dreamed of Jihad | Michael Daly | December 16, 2013 | THE DAILY BEASTThe confoundingly easy victory of Narayan hung heavily on his mind.
From the Caves and Jungles of Hindostan | Helena Pretrovna BlavatskyThe first flap-jack stuck confoundingly, and would not turn at all except by pieces.
The Pike's Peak Rush | Edwin L. Sabin
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