express their confusion

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "express their confusion" is correct and usable in written English.
It can be used when discussing how someone communicates their lack of understanding or uncertainty about a situation. Example: "During the meeting, several team members began to express their confusion regarding the new project guidelines."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Science

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

3 human-written examples

The probing allowed them to express their confusion.

The Guardian - Lifestyle

The group began to express their confusion.

Huffington Post

Swedish people have taken to social media to express their confusion over President Donald Trump's allusion to a terror attack in their country that didn't actually happen.

Vice

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

57 human-written examples

Fans of the brand had expressed their confusion about the leak.

BBC

Participants also expressed their confusion about the two deleted items.

BMC Medical Informatics and Decision Making

In this excerpt, the students expressed their confusion and dissatisfaction with the task.

CBE Life Sciences Education

In this sub-theme, participants expressed their confusion and lack of knowledge of GDM.

BMC Pregnancy and Childbirth

Women expressed their confusion about how to count: "… (the information was) conflicting as to how many times he should move and whether I should count every kick or count every session of movements" (ID084, 35wks).

BMC Pregnancy and Childbirth

The mothers, in contrast, find ways to express their pain and confusion and also discover the capacity to love both of the children they now share.

The New York Times

Many students turned to Facebook and Twitter as the shooting broke out and then used social media to express their sadness and confusion over the events.

The New York Times

One developer wrote us calling it the "great Facebook auth 2.0 switch panic of 2011", noting that developers are pouring onto web forums to express their panic and confusion over the situation.

TechCrunch

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When using "express their confusion", ensure the context clearly indicates what they are confused about. Providing specific details enhances clarity and prevents misinterpretation.

Common error

Avoid using "express their confusion" without clearly establishing who "their" refers to. Ambiguous pronoun references can lead to confusion and weaken the impact of your writing.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "express their confusion" functions as a verb phrase, where "express" is the verb indicating the action of communicating a feeling, and "their confusion" is the object, specifying what is being communicated. As Ludwig AI confirms, it is a usable English expression.

Expression frequency: Uncommon

Frequent in

News & Media

50%

Science

33%

Formal & Business

17%

Less common in

Academia

0%

Encyclopedias

0%

Wiki

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, "express their confusion" is a grammatically sound and usable phrase that effectively conveys a state of bewilderment or lack of understanding. As Ludwig AI confirms, this phrase is correct and suitable for diverse writing purposes. While categorized as having uncommon frequency, it appears across various domains like News & Media and Science. When employing this phrase, ensure clarity by explicitly indicating the source of the confusion to avoid ambiguity. Consider alternatives such as "articulate their bewilderment" or "show their incomprehension" to add nuance or formality based on your context.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

articulate their bewilderment

Replaces "express" with "articulate" and "confusion" with "bewilderment", emphasizing a more formal and clear communication of their state.

convey their perplexity

Uses "convey" instead of "express" and "perplexity" instead of "confusion", suggesting a slightly more sophisticated and nuanced expression.

show their incomprehension

Substitutes "express" with "show" and "confusion" with "incomprehension", focusing on the outward display of a lack of understanding.

voice their uncertainty

Replaces "confusion" with "uncertainty", highlighting the aspect of doubt and lack of clarity.

demonstrate their lack of understanding

Replaces "express their confusion" with a more descriptive phrase, explicitly stating the absence of understanding.

reveal their puzzlement

Uses "reveal" instead of "express" and "puzzlement" instead of "confusion", suggesting that their state is being unveiled.

make known their bafflement

Uses "make known" which is more emphatic than "express", and "bafflement" instead of "confusion".

air their disorientation

Replaces "express" with "air" and "confusion" with "disorientation", conveying a sense of being lost or unsure of direction.

register their discombobulation

Replaces "confusion" with "discombobulation", which is a more humorous and informal expression of being confused.

betray their ignorance

Replaces "confusion" with "ignorance", emphasizing a lack of knowledge or information.

FAQs

What does "express their confusion" mean?

It means to communicate or show that one is feeling bewildered or lacks understanding about something.

How can I rephrase "express their confusion"?

You can use alternatives like "articulate their bewilderment", "convey their perplexity", or "show their incomprehension" depending on the context.

Is it correct to say "expressed their confusion"?

Yes, "expressed their confusion" is the past tense form and is grammatically correct when referring to a past event.

What's the difference between "express their confusion" and "express their misunderstanding"?

While both indicate a lack of understanding, "express their confusion" generally implies a state of bewilderment, whereas "express their misunderstanding" suggests a specific incorrect interpretation. The nuance depends on the situation, but both are suitable depending on context.