Discovery: a word describing the combining of two things

Word discovery: conflated
Citation: “A War on Wilson?” by Matthew Cooper et. al., Time (magazine) online
Usage: Ninth paragraph, first sentence: “Wilson says that the Administration conflated the prior report of the American ambassador to Niger with his own.” [link and color font mine]
Meaning: "to bring together" or "to combine", Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary.
Comments: In this news story, which is about a White House (United States) effort to taint the image of former diplomat Joseph Wilson, this word takes on a sinister meaning.