not to confound

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "not to confound" is correct and usable in written English.
It can be used when you want to clarify something to avoid confusion or misunderstanding. Example: "I want to explain the differences between the two theories, not to confound the readers but to enhance their understanding."

✓ Grammatically correct

Science

News & Media

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

24 human-written examples

For February's 28 days (29 in a leap year) viewers are showered with uplifting biographies, civil rights documentaries and made-for-television movies that are so careful not to confound or offend that they are almost painful, like watching a high school senior trying to sit up straight all the way through a college interview.

The New York Times - Arts

It is not very long — it contains only her lines, with the ends of the lines that precede them, so as not to confound her — and scrawled here and there are her frazzled, misspelled comments and jabs of self-persuasion: "what am I doing," "inocent," "Acting being private in public to be Brave".

The New Yorker

Therefore, radiologists need to be familiar with the imaging features of injectable fillers in order not to confound these with true pathology or vice-versa in order not to miss true pathology obscured by filler injections.

Insights into Imaging

Bacon's famous argument that it is wise not to confound the Book of Nature with the Book of God comes into focus, since the latter deals with God's will (inscrutable for man) and the former with God's work, the scientific explanation or appreciation of which is a form of Christian divine service.

SEP

We purposefully used a microarray dataset where patients received no adjuvant systemic therapy so as not to confound the survival data with the use of chemotherapeutics or estrogen receptor antagonists.

Plosone

In this case we selected as reference target, a gene that contained exactly one copy of the motif site in its upstream region in order not to confound coregulation with orthologous information (as the presence of multiple copies confers coregulation information).

Plosone

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

36 human-written examples

Smoking was not associated with any hematopoietic malignancy and did not appear to confound the association between radon and leukemia.

Environmental Health Perspectives

Furthermore, IgG status was not significantly associated with ICU requirement, hence, secondary infection is not likely to confound the associations observed in this study.

BMC Infectious Diseases

In the multivariable analysis, this variable was not associated with any of the three outcomes and therefore did not appear to confound any of the observed relationships.

AIDS

I'm not trying to confound people or trying to be weird.

The Guardian - Music

If Gordon Brown is not able to confound everything that we know about him, 2007 will belong to Cameron, too.

Independent

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "not to confound" when you want to ensure that different elements are clearly distinguished and not mistakenly combined or misinterpreted in your explanation or analysis.

Common error

Avoid using "not to confound" in casual conversations or informal writing. Opt for simpler phrases like "to avoid confusion" or "to keep separate" for better clarity and appropriateness.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "not to confound" functions as a purpose connector, indicating the intention to avoid confusion or misinterpretation. It typically appears in clauses that explain the reason for a particular action or clarification. Ludwig confirms its correct usage in various contexts.

Expression frequency: Common

Frequent in

Science

75%

News & Media

21%

Formal & Business

4%

Less common in

Encyclopedias

0%

Wiki

0%

Social Media

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, the phrase "not to confound" is a grammatically sound and frequently employed connector used to express the intention of avoiding confusion or misinterpretation. Ludwig confirms that the phrase is correct and usable in written English. Predominantly found in scientific and news-related contexts, this phrase emphasizes clarity and precision. When using "not to confound", ensure that it aligns with the formal tone of your writing. When appropriate, consider employing alternative phrases like "to avoid mixing up" or "to prevent confusion" to improve readability in less formal settings. Remember, the goal is always to communicate your ideas with the utmost clarity.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

to not confuse

A more direct and simpler way of stating the intention to prevent mixing up.

to prevent confusion

Focuses on averting a state of misunderstanding or lack of clarity.

to ensure clarity

Highlights the active effort to make something easily understood.

to avert misunderstanding

Highlights preventing the occurrence of a misinterpretation or incorrect understanding.

to avoid mixing up

Emphasizes preventing the incorrect association of different elements.

so as not to obscure

Focuses on avoiding the act of making something unclear or hidden.

to preclude ambiguity

Stresses the elimination of any possibility of multiple interpretations.

to differentiate clearly

Focuses on making the distinctions apparent and easily recognizable.

to maintain distinction

Emphasizes the effort to keep separate and distinct entities.

to keep separate

Implies maintaining a distinction between different items or concepts.

FAQs

How can I use "not to confound" in a sentence?

Use "not to confound" when you want to clarify something to prevent it from being confused with something else. For example, "I want to explain the differences between the two theories, "not to confound" the readers but to enhance their understanding."

What does "not to confound" mean?

"Not to confound" means "to avoid confusion" or "to prevent misunderstanding". It's used to ensure that different things are not mixed up or mistaken for each other.

What can I say instead of "not to confound"?

You can use alternatives like "to avoid mixing up", "to prevent confusion", or "to ensure clarity" depending on the context.

Which is correct, "not to confound" or "so as not to confound"?

Both phrases are grammatically correct. "Not to confound" is more concise, while "so as not to confound" adds emphasis on the purpose. The choice depends on the desired level of formality and emphasis.