confusion
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confusion worse confounded
Confusion made worse. Recess was already underway when the fire alarm rang, leading to confusion worse confounded. Trying to wrangle all those kids was certainly a chore!
smoke and mirrors
Trickery, deception, or misdirection. The candidate has been accused of using smoke and mirrors during the debate to undermine the credibility of his opponent. Before computer generated effects, filmmakers had to use a lot of smoke and mirrors to make fantastic, unbelievable things look realistic in their movies.
throw into confusion
1. To confuse, confound, or bewilder one. In this usage, a noun or pronoun is used between "throw" and "into." The random outbursts from the audience threw me into confusion during my presentation. The sudden amorous attention from Jonathan threw Sally into confusion, as she had never really thought about him in that way before.
2. To cause some situation, system, process, etc., to fall into a state of disorder, uncertainty, or disarray. The company was thrown into confusion by the sudden resignations of several top-level officials. You're going to end up throwing the project into confusion if you keep changing the parameters like that. The huge cyber attack threw the entire country into confusion for several months.
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms. © 2015 Farlex, Inc, all rights reserved.
smoke and mirrors
deception and confusion. (Said of statements or more complicated rhetoric used to mislead people rather than inform. Alludes to the way a magician uses optical illusion to create believability while performing a trick. Fixed order.) Most people know that the politician was just using smoke and mirrors to make things look better than they really were. Her report was little more than smoke and mirrors. No one will believe any of it.
throw someone or something into confusion
to cause people or a process to become confused, aimless, or disorderly. She made her entrance early and threw eveyone onstage into confusion. The judge's surprise ruling threw the courtroom into confusion.
McGraw-Hill Dictionary of American Idioms and Phrasal Verbs. © 2002 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.
smoke and mirrors
Smoke and mirrors are words and actions that are intended to deceive or confuse people, especially by making something seem better than it really is. The president claims that his economic plan is free of the smoke and mirrors of previous presidential budget proposals. Thousands of shareholders learned too late that the company's image of success had been created with smoke and mirrors. Note: Magicians sometimes use smoke and mirrors when they are performing tricks, in order to confuse or deceive people.
Collins COBUILD Idioms Dictionary, 3rd ed. © HarperCollins Publishers 2012
smoke and mirrors
the obscuring or embellishing of the truth of a situation with misleading or irrelevant information. chiefly North American 1998 Sunday Telegraph Ministers accused the Conservatives of a ‘smoke and mirrors’ con trick.
Farlex Partner Idioms Dictionary © Farlex 2017
smoke and ˈmirrors
used to describe ways of tricking people or of hiding the truth: He said the government had used smoke and mirrors to raise taxes. ♢ The commission has declared war on the smoke and mirrors of sales promotions.Farlex Partner Idioms Dictionary © Farlex 2017
smoke and mirrors
n. a strategy of deception and cover up. Her entire report was nothing but smoke and mirrors. Who could believe any of it?
McGraw-Hill's Dictionary of American Slang and Colloquial Expressions Copyright © 2006 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.
smoke and mirrors
Something that deceives or distorts the truth: Your explanation is nothing but smoke and mirrors.
American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.