confound

/kən-ˈfau̇nd/

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- com-fundere "to pour, shed"

verb

  1. to throw (a person) into confusion or perplexity

  2. refute

  3. to put to shame : discomfit

tactics to confound the enemy

puzzle perplex bewilder distract nonplus confound dumbfound mean to baffle and disturb mentally. puzzle implies existence of a problem difficult to solve. perplex adds a suggestion of worry and uncertainty especially about making a necessary decision.