To confuse someone is to perplex or bewilder them (the flood of questions confused me). To befuddle someone is to confuse them, especially with glib statements or with baffling behavior. The suggestion bundled into befuddle is that of making the mind slow or foggy, as from intoxication, a connotation inherited from the verb fuddle, meaning "to tipple," that is, to drink intoxicating liquor, especially habitually or to some excess. Fuddle entered English nearly 300 years before befuddle, which explains the boozy nature of befuddle's earliest meaning in English: "to make stupidly drunk."

The verb want is one of the most frequently used verbs in the English language. It conveys desire in ways ranging from the more casual (she wants an ice cream) to more intense (she wants to be notified in case of emergency). Covet also deals with desire, but more specifically, it deals with the desire to possess what someone else possesses (she coveted her friend’s beachfront property). Envy and longing are implied by this term, though covet is sometimes used in a less grasping manner to talk about wishing for something eagerly.

The verbs disagree and quarrel are synonyms, but they don’t quite see eye to eye. Disagree is the general term used to talk about differences in opinion (three of the judges disagreed with the verdict) or simple lack of agreement between items (the conclusions disagree with the facts). Disagree can also be used to talk about items or conditions that cause physical discomfort (the oysters disagreed with her). But none of these level-headed meanings overlap exactly with quarrel. To quarrel is to disagree angrily or to squabble. This more vehement verb suggests an angry dispute or altercation, or a disagreement marked by a temporary or permanent break in friendly relations.