Conflates
/kənˈfleɪts/
verbC1third person singular present tense
Definition
To conflate something means to join different ideas, stories, or pieces of information into one. This often happens when the combined parts are similar but not exactly the same, which can lead to mixing facts or meanings. People sometimes conflate things by mistake, thinking they are the same when they are actually different.
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⚡ See It in Action
To join two or more ideas or stories into one, sometimes causing confusion
- •The author conflates fact and fiction in the novel.
- •People often conflate the two political ideas, but they are different.
- •The report conflates data from two separate studies.
To mix different pieces of information or meanings together
- •The teacher warned students not to conflate similar but distinct historical events.
- •In conversation, people sometimes conflate personal opinions with facts.
🧲 Make It Stick
- ✓Think of 'conflate' like 'mix' (A1 word), but with ideas or information instead of food or colors.
- ✓Picture two rivers joining into one bigger river, their waters blending but still coming from different sources.
- ✓It's the feeling when you confuse two stories because they sound alike, and you tell them as one.
- ✓Sounds like 'con-FLATES' → imagine blowing up a balloon (inflate) that combines two smaller balloons into one big balloon.
- ✓Think of a detective who mixes two suspects' stories into one, making the investigation confusing.
- ✓NOT like 'compare' (look at differences and similarities), conflating means mixing them without clear separation.
- ✓NOT like 'separate' (keep things apart), conflating joins things together.
- ✓NOT like 'clarify' (make clear), conflating often causes confusion by mixing things.
🔄 Try Other Words
- •Combine: to put things together (Use when the joining is clear and intentional)
- •Merge: to join to form one (Use for smooth or natural joining)
- •Confuse: to cause misunderstanding (Use when the joining causes error or misunderstanding)
- •Blend: to mix smoothly (Use when mixing is gentle and balanced)
🔍 Unboxing
- •Word parts: prefix 'con-' (together) + root 'flate' (from Latin 'flare,' meaning to blow or breathe)
- •Etymology: From Latin 'conflare,' meaning to blow together or fuse
- •Historical development: Originally used to describe blowing together flames or air, later used for joining ideas or texts
- •Modern usage: Used mainly in writing, speech, and thought to describe mixing ideas or information, often with a warning about confusion
💭 Reflect & Connect
•How can conflating ideas affect the way people understand important information?
•Can you think of a time when you accidentally conflated two things and it caused confusion?
Fill in the blanks with the correct word:
1.When someone conflates two different stories, they often ___ the facts and cause confusion.
2.The writer conflates history and legend, making it hard to know what is true ___ false.
3.Unlike comparing, conflating means ___ different ideas into one without clear separation.
4.People sometimes conflated the two words ___ their meanings are different.
5.The report conflates data from two studies, so it ___ the results.
6.To avoid mistakes, do not conflate opinions ___ facts in your essay.
7.When a speaker conflates topics, listeners may feel ___ because the ideas are mixed.