befuddle

verb

be·​fud·​dle bi-ˈfə-dᵊl 

bē-

befuddled; befuddling; befuddles

transitive verb

1

: to muddle or stupefy with or as if with drink

… befuddled with drink all the time.

—Ellen Glasgow

2

: confuse, perplex

a problem that still befuddles the experts

befuddlement

bi-ˈfə-dᵊl-mənt 

bē-

noun

Synonyms

• bewilder
• perplex
• confuse
• baffle
• puzzle

Examples of befuddle in a Sentence

most of the applicants were befuddled by the wording of one of the questions on the driving test

Recent Examples on the Web

Opposing defenses, who hadn't game-planned for him prior to the season, were befuddled by his ability to drive and dish at a high level. —Alex Kirschenbaum, MSNBC Newsweek, 31 Aug. 2025

Or just confused vibes, such as when one player befuddled another by doing his best Puddy from Seinfeld on a plane impersonation. —Dalton Ross, EW.com, 25 Aug. 2025

The Padres were mostly befuddled by Giants starter Kai-Wei Teng for three innings last night. —Kevin Acee, San Diego Union-Tribune, 20 Aug. 2025

Even so, the researchers were befuddled by the AI’s design. —Anil Ananthaswamy, Wired News, 16 Aug. 2025

Word History

Etymology

be- + fuddle

First Known Use

1801, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for befuddle

• cuddle
• huddle
• muddle
• puddle

Kids Definition

befuddle

verb

be·​fud·​dle bi-ˈfəd-ᵊl 

befuddled; befuddling

-ˈfəd-liŋ,

-ᵊl-iŋ

1

: to dull the senses of with or as if with too much drink : stupefy

2

: confuse sense 1a, perplex

befuddlement

-mənt 

noun