Confusion drifts in like fog, blurring thought and direction. Everyday speech turns that haze into vivid images—spinning heads, tangled wires, mazes without exits.
In the pages ahead you’ll find 50 idioms for confusion, each casting mental chaos in a fresh light. Step into the swirl and see how language makes sense or does not make sense.
Best Idioms for Confusion
1. At sea
Meaning: Feeling completely lost or unable to understand what’s happening.
In a Sentence:
“She stared at the instructions, utterly at sea.”
“During the technical briefing, I was at sea from start to finish.”
Other Ways to Say: adrift, totally lost, without a clue
2. In a fog
Meaning: Mentally blurred or unable to think clearly.
In a Sentence:
“After the night shift, he drove home in a fog.”
“The medicine left her mind in a fog for hours.”
Other Ways to Say: hazy-headed, clouded, foggy-minded
3. All over the place
Meaning: Thoughts or actions scattered and unfocused.
In a Sentence:
“Her presentation was all over the place—no clear thread.”
“On bad days, my mind feels all over the place.”
Other Ways to Say: scattered, disorganized, unfocused
4. Not knowing which way is up
Meaning: So confused that basic orientation or priorities feel inverted.
In a Sentence:
“After the sudden news, he didn’t know which way was up.”
“Moving to a new city left her not knowing which way was up.”
Other Ways to Say: totally bewildered, upside down, directionless
5. Head is spinning
Meaning: Overwhelmed by too much information or rapid change.
In a Sentence:
“After reading all the rules, my head is spinning.”
“The fast-paced debate left everyone’s heads spinning.”
Other Ways to Say: overwhelmed, dizzy with info, reeling
6. Can’t make heads or tails of it
Meaning: Unable to understand something at all.
In a Sentence:
“I read the manual but can’t make heads or tails of it.”
“She listened to the code review and made no heads or tails of it.”
Other Ways to Say: completely confused, no sense made, lost on me
7. In a tailspin
Meaning: Rapidly losing control mentally or emotionally.
In a Sentence:
“The sudden layoffs sent the team into a tailspin.”
“He received the rejection letter and fell into a tailspin.”
Other Ways to Say: spiraling, losing control, downhill fast
8. Running around like a headless chicken
Meaning: Acting frantically without direction or coherence.
In a Sentence:
“Before the deadline, everyone was running around like a headless chicken.”
“She panicked at the airport, running around like a headless chicken.”
Other Ways to Say: frenetic, chaotic rush, frantic confusion
9. In a whirl
Meaning: Caught in rapid, confusing activity or thoughts.
In a Sentence:
“Her schedule had her in a whirl all week.”
“The news left his emotions in a whirl.”
Other Ways to Say: in a spin, whirling, whirlwind state
10. Mind is in knots
Meaning: Thoughts tangled and difficult to sort out.
In a Sentence:
“Trying to decide left my mind in knots.”
“After the complex puzzle, his mind was in knots.”
Other Ways to Say: tangled thoughts, mental knots, twisted thinking
11. At a loss
Meaning: Unsure what to do or say in a situation.
In a Sentence:
“I was at a loss for words when the power suddenly went out.”
“Faced with the complex form, she felt completely at a loss.”
Other Ways to Say: baffled, stuck, unsure of the next move
12. Draw a blank
Meaning: Fail to recall information or come up with an idea.
In a Sentence:
“He asked my phone number, and I drew a blank.”
“When the teacher called on her, she drew a blank on the answer.”
Other Ways to Say: can’t remember, the mind goes blank, memory lapse
13. In the dark
Meaning: Lacking information or awareness about something important.
In a Sentence:
“They kept me in the dark about the surprise party.”
“Most employees were in the dark regarding the merger.”
Other Ways to Say: uninformed, unaware, out of the loop
14. Up in the air
Meaning: Not yet decided or settled.
In a Sentence:
“Our vacation plans are still up in the air.”
“The budget cuts leave staffing decisions up in the air.”
Other Ways to Say: uncertain, undecided, pending
15. Clueless
Meaning: Having no knowledge or understanding of something.
In a Sentence:
“I’m clueless about car repairs.”
“He looked clueless during the technical explanation.”
Other Ways to Say: totally unaware, in the dark, lost
Related Post: 50 Common Idioms for Hope and Positivity
16. A shot in the dark
Meaning: A guess with little chance of success or based on limited information.
In a Sentence:
“Guessing the password was just a shot in the dark.”
“Her answer was a shot in the dark, but it turned out right.”
Other Ways to Say: wild guess, stab in the dark, random try
17. In no man’s land
Meaning: In an uncertain or unresolvable position between two options.
In a Sentence:
“The project deadline left them in no man’s land—too late to pivot, too early to launch.”
“He felt in no man’s land between childhood and adulthood.”
Other Ways to Say: stuck between, limbo, uncertain territory
18. Walking in circles
Meaning: Making no progress despite effort; repeating the same steps.
In a Sentence:
“We’ve been walking in circles with this code bug for hours.”
“Her argument kept walking in circles, never reaching a point.”
Other Ways to Say: going nowhere, stuck in a loop, spinning wheels
19. On shaky ground
Meaning: In a weak, unstable, or uncertain situation.
In a Sentence:
“Their relationship is on shaky ground after that argument.”
“Financially, the company is on shaky ground.”
Other Ways to Say: unstable, precarious, insecure footing
20. Neither here nor there
Meaning: Irrelevant or not important to the current topic or decision.
In a Sentence:
“His past success is neither here nor there—we need results now.”
“Whether she likes coffee is neither here nor there in this debate.”
Other Ways to Say: beside the point, irrelevant, off-topic
21. Mixed signals
Meaning: Confusing or contradictory messages that leave intentions unclear.
In a Sentence:
“He texts every day but never commits—talk about mixed signals.”
“The meeting gave mixed signals about whether the project was approved.”
Other Ways to Say: conflicting cues, crossed messages, unclear signals
22. Like a broken compass
Meaning: Lacking clear direction or guidance.
In a Sentence:
“Without a plan, the team felt like a broken compass.”
“Her advice pointed everywhere, like a broken compass.”
Other Ways to Say: directionless, aimless, lost navigation
23. Crossed wires
Meaning: Miscommunication that leads to misunderstanding.
In a Sentence:
“We must have crossed wires—I thought the meeting was tomorrow.”
“Their crossed wires caused double-booked appointments.”
Other Ways to Say: misread signals, communication mix‑up, lines crossed
24. A jumble of thoughts
Meaning: Disorganized or chaotic ideas swirling in one’s mind.
In a Sentence:
“Before the exam, my head was a jumble of thoughts.”
“Her speech started as a jumble of thoughts, then found focus.”
Other Ways to Say: tangled ideas, mental mess, thought scramble
25. Brain fog
Meaning: Mental cloudiness that makes thinking or concentration difficult.
In a Sentence:
“After the flu, she struggled with brain fog at work.”
“Four hours of meetings left me in total brain fog.”
Other Ways to Say: mental haze, cognitive cloud, foggy head
26. Thoughts are tangled
Meaning: Ideas are so intertwined that clarity is lost.
In a Sentence:
“Whenever I’m stressed, my thoughts are tangled.”
“His thoughts were tangled after the shocking news.”
Other Ways to Say: mental knots, twisted thinking, jumbled mind
27. Mind like a maze
Meaning: Thinking feels complex, winding, and hard to navigate.
In a Sentence:
“Deciding on a career left her mind like a maze.”
“He tried meditating to calm a mind like a maze.”
Other Ways to Say: a labyrinth of thoughts, winding mind, a maze of ideas
28. Say one thing, mean another
Meaning: Speech that contradicts real intentions or feelings.
In a Sentence:
“He tends to say one thing, mean another—no wonder we’re confused.”
“Her polite words but cold tone showed she’d say one thing, mean another.”
Other Ways to Say: double talk, hidden agenda, mixed messaging
29. Circular thinking
Meaning: Reasoning that goes around in loops without reaching a conclusion.
In a Sentence:
“We kept arguing in circles—pure circular thinking.”
“His circular thinking never solved the problem.”
Other Ways to Say: looped logic, going round and round, endless reasoning
30. Talking in riddles
Meaning: Speaking ambiguously or cryptically, making understanding difficult.
In a Sentence:
“The witness was talking in riddles, hiding key facts.”
“She talks in riddles when she’s nervous, never giving a straight answer.”
Other Ways to Say: cryptic speech, puzzling talk, ambiguous words
31. Tongue‑tied
Meaning: Unable to speak coherently due to nerves or embarrassment.
In a Sentence:
“She was tongue‑tied when the camera turned her way.”
“Meeting his idol left him completely tongue‑tied.”
Other Ways to Say: speechless, lost your tongue, verbally frozen
32. Lost for words
Meaning: So surprised or emotional that no words come to mind.
In a Sentence:
“When he proposed, she was lost for words.”
“The tragic news left everyone lost for words.”
Other Ways to Say: speechless, wordless, struck dumb
33. Talking in circles
Meaning: Repeating the same points without reaching a conclusion.
In a Sentence:
“The debate dragged on—they were talking in circles.”
“He kept talking in circles, never answering the question.”
Other Ways to Say: going round and round, circular talk, endless loop
34. Say it backwards
Meaning: Express an idea in a confusing or reversed way.
In a Sentence:
“I understood once he repeated it—he’d said it backward the first time.”
“She tends to say it backward when she’s flustered.”
Other Ways to Say: reverse your words, back‑to‑front statement, flipped phrasing
35. Foot in mouth
Meaning: Accidentally say something embarrassing or inappropriate.
In a Sentence:
“He really put his foot in his mouth when he mentioned her age.”
“Every party, he sticks his foot in his mouth somehow.”
Other Ways to Say: verbal misstep, awkward blunder, speaking out of turn
Related Post: 50 Best Idioms for Anger and Frustration
36. Not making any sense
Meaning: Speaking or writing in a way that is illogical or incomprehensible.
In a Sentence:
“Your explanation isn’t making any sense—try again.”
“After three hours, the plan still wasn’t making any sense.”
Other Ways to Say: incomprehensible, illogical, unclear
37. Mumble jumble
Meaning: Speech that is low, muffled, and hard to understand.
In a Sentence:
“He answered with such mumble jumble I couldn’t catch a word.”
“Her presentation turned into a mumble jumble without the mic.”
Other Ways to Say: muffled speech, low mutter, garbled talk
38. Word salad
Meaning: A confusing mixture of seemingly random or disordered words.
In a Sentence:
“Their brainstorming session ended in pure word salad.”
“His apology was a word salad—no clear point at all.”
Other Ways to Say: jumbled speech, verbal clutter, nonsense talk
39. Babbling like a brook
Meaning: Talking rapidly and continuously, often without substance.
In a Sentence:
“She gets nervous and starts babbling like a brook.”
“He babbled like a brook about nothing in particular.”
Other Ways to Say: chattering nonstop, rapid babble, endless prattle
40. Stumble over your words
Meaning: Struggle to speak smoothly, often due to anxiety or haste.
In a Sentence:
“He stumbled over his words during the interview.”
“When reading aloud, she stumbled over her words in the tough paragraph.”
Other Ways to Say: trip on your words, verbal stumble, falter in speech
41. A hot mess
Meaning: A situation or person in complete disarray and disorder.
In a Sentence:
“The project launch was a hot mess—nothing worked as planned.”
“After the party, the kitchen looked like a hot mess.”
Other Ways to Say: total chaos, complete wreck, utter shambles
42. Like herding cats
Meaning: Trying to control or organize something wildly unmanageable.
In a Sentence:
“Getting toddlers to sit still felt like herding cats.”
“Coordinating five departments at once is like herding cats.”
Other Ways to Say: impossible task, chaotic wrangling, unmanageable effort
43. Clutching at straws
Meaning: Grasping at any small or unlikely hope when desperate or confused.
In a Sentence:
“Without evidence, the lawyer was clutching at straws.”
“In her panic, she started clutching at straws for excuses.”
Other Ways to Say: desperate guessing, grasping at hope, flimsy attempts
44. Flying blind
Meaning: Acting without guidance, information, or clear direction.
In a Sentence:
“With no metrics, we’re flying blind on this campaign.”
“He moved to a new country and felt like he was flying blind.”
Other Ways to Say: operating sightless, no roadmap, guidance‑free
45. A wild goose chase
Meaning: A futile or hopeless pursuit that wastes time and effort.
In a Sentence:
“The rumor sent us on a wild goose chase across town.”
“Looking for that file was a wild goose chase—turns out it never existed.”
Other Ways to Say: pointless hunt, fruitless search, endless chase
46. All mixed up
Meaning: Mentally or emotionally disordered; confused about what to do.
In a Sentence:
“After hearing conflicting advice, I’m all mixed up.”
“Her thoughts were all mixed up after the breakup.”
Other Ways to Say: jumbled, confused, tangled inside
47. No rhyme or reason
Meaning: Lacking any logical explanation or order.
In a Sentence:
“The pricing changes had no rhyme or reason.”
“He rearranged the files with no rhyme or reason.”
Other Ways to Say: senseless, disorganized, illogical pattern
48. Going in circles
Meaning: Making no progress despite repeated effort; stuck in a loop.
In a Sentence:
“We discussed it for hours, just going in circles.”
“The GPS failed, and we ended up going in circles downtown.”
Other Ways to Say: spinning wheels, stuck on repeat, looped efforts
49. Out of your depth
Meaning: In a situation too complex or difficult to handle.
In a Sentence:
“He felt out of his depth managing a team of experts.”
“When the conversation turned technical, I was out of my depth.”
Other Ways to Say: beyond one’s ability, over one’s head, in too deep
50. Like walking through fog
Meaning: Proceeding with limited understanding, clarity, or certainty.
In a Sentence:
“The first weeks of grief felt like walking through fog.”
“Without instructions, starting the software was like walking through fog.”
Other Ways to Say: unclear path, hazy progress, blind navigation
Exercise to practice – Idioms for Confusion
- When they asked me about the new policy, I was completely ________.
- Planning this event with five committees feels like ________.
- He kept repeating himself—it was like listening to ________.
- Without the map, we ended up ________ in the forest.
- She stared at the math problem, but her mind just ________.
- The instructions gave me ________; I can’t tell what they really want.
- After three straight night shifts, I’m walking around ________.
- Negotiations stalled, and the whole project is now ________.
- Guessing the password was just ________.
- He opened his mouth to speak but got ________ in front of the crowd.
Answers
- at sea
- like herding cats
- a broken record
- going in circles
- drew a blank
- mixed signals
- in a fog
- on shaky ground
- a shot in the dark
- tongue‑tied
Conclusion
Confusion may be uncomfortable, but idioms make it more expressive—and even fun. With these idioms for confusion, you can clearly show what it feels like to be lost in thought, speech, or situation.
Next time your brain hits a fog, use one of these to say it with style.
Danny Weber is a language enthusiast and freelance writer with a passion for unpacking the beauty of idioms and metaphors. Through years of research and creative exploration, Danny helps readers understand the deeper meanings behind familiar phrases—making figurative language feel accessible, engaging, and alive. Whether he’s decoding classic sayings or crafting new twists on old expressions, Danny’s work invites you to see language with fresh eyes.
