Meaning

To combine or mix together..

Definitions by Sense

1. To combine or mix together.
2. (by extension) To fail to properly distinguish or keep separate (things); to mistakenly treat (them) as equivalent.
3. (by extension) To deliberately draw a false equivalence or association, typically in a tacit or implicit manner as propaganda and/or an intentional distortion or misrepresentation of the subject matter.
4. (biblical criticism) Combining elements from multiple versions of the same text.
5. (biblical criticism) A conflate text, one which conflates multiple version of a text together.

Example Sentences

“Bacon was Lord Chancellor of England and the first European to experiment with gunpowder.” — “No, you are conflating Francis Bacon and Roger Bacon.”

But in reality, the order simply furthers the Trump administration’s anti-immigrant policies by continuing to conflate immigration issues with criminal ones.

But again, this conflates global geographic variation with race, says Alan Goodman, a biological anthropologist at Hampshire College.

Climate skeptics have conflated the two for years, for example, pointing to cold winter weather as proof that global warming is a hoax, most likely to play on people’s confusion about the two.

“We must stop conflating selectivity with excellence. We must stop correlating prestige with privilege,” he said.

Why the redactor created this conflate version, despite its inconsistencies, is a matter of conjecture.

Word Forms

• conflates
• conflating
• conflated

Synonyms for conflate

Related Words

When Should You Use Conflate?

Use conflate when its meaning, tone and grammar fit the full sentence. A synonym is not always a direct replacement.

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