as in dazed
suffering from mental confusion
my brain grew more and more addle as I made my way through the tax instructions
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in to bewilder
to throw into a state of mental uncertainty
after slipping on the ice, Bethany was so addled that she left her groceries where they'd fallen
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of addle
Ann Hornaday, Twin Cities, 25 July 2019
Marco Della Cava, USA Today, 10 June 2025
The surfer is increasingly addled by visions that come to him in harrowing split-second blackouts.
—Glenn Kenny, New York Times, 1 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for addle
Adjective
Soon enough, the foursome are in the back of that truck in an adventure that begins as a moneymaking scheme and promises to become a heroic journey into the heart of white supremacy at its most virulent and addle-minded.
—Ann Hornaday, Twin Cities, 25 July 2019
Verb
By 1971, with the band addled by drug use and internal strife, Sly and the Family Stone would increasingly lose tour bookings and fail to produce music that matched the songs of just a few years prior.
—Marco Della Cava, USA Today, 10 June 2025
The surfer is increasingly addled by visions that come to him in harrowing split-second blackouts.
—Glenn Kenny, New York Times, 1 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for addle
Recent Examples of Synonyms for addle
Adjective
-
Humans of all ages, in fact, stare dazed into glowing screens.—
Louis Peitzman,
Vulture,
19 June 2026
-
Rapkin, truth be told, looked a little dazed.—
Victoria Gomelsky,
Robb Report,
17 June 2026
Verb
-
For three years straight, he’s kept up a pace that bewilders the industry’s leading comics.—
Ethan Shanfeld,
Variety,
17 June 2026
-
The narrator and his wife find that their attachment to the charismatic and cryptic Chibi grows with the cat’s increasing visits, in a way that bewilders them but somehow bonds them closer together.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
9 June 2026
Adjective
-
At the risk of sounding less like a columnist and more like a bewildered bystander … what the heck happened?—
Denise Crosby,
Chicago Tribune,
14 June 2026
-
Urged by a call from Hugo to destroy her phone and flee Kansas City fast, before WARDEX can get to her, Margaret also hits the road, accompanied initially by a bewildered Jackson.—
David Rooney,
HollywoodReporter,
9 June 2026
Verb
-
The Illinois numbers, especially this year’s, are baffling experts.—
Adriana Pérez,
Chicago Tribune,
19 June 2026
-
Using humane methods like squirrel baffles and tree nets can effectively keep squirrels out of your fruit trees.—
Michelle Mastro,
Martha Stewart,
18 June 2026
Adjective
-
The proper fit will ensure that your pet remains comfortable and doesn’t become distracted by efforts to remove the collar.—
BestReviews,
Mercury News,
15 June 2026
-
The stadium, packed to the brim with more than 82,000 fans, reverberated with stunned murmurs as Morocco’s Ismael Saibari snuck behind a distracted Brazil defense and chipped home a beautiful goal over goalkeeper Alisson Becker’s head to open the scoring in the 22nd minute.—
Kels Dayton,
Hartford Courant,
14 June 2026
Verb
-
But there were also perplexing moments that punctured the gravitas of the event (even for an event built around hand-to-hand combat).—
Alex Weprin,
HollywoodReporter,
15 June 2026
-
Aryna Sabalenka being asked to dance after defeating Naomi Osaka in the French Open has one former American tennis star perplexed.—
Scott Thompson,
FOXNews.com,
2 June 2026
Adjective
-
But then, the writer himself might get confused about which is which.—
Cressida Leyshon,
New Yorker,
21 June 2026
-
For example, a lot of fans were a bit confused on Friday after watching Miguel Almiron be sent off in the first half of Paraguay’s win against Turkey.—
Ben Church,
CNN Money,
21 June 2026
Verb
-
So The Listeners — not to be confused with 2022’s The Listener starring Tessa Thompson and you in a voice role — is just now reaching the States.—
Brian Davids,
HollywoodReporter,
20 June 2026
-
Why The Market Misprices Good Companies Investors often confuse business quality with investment quality.—
Jim Osman,
Forbes.com,
19 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Addle.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/addle. Accessed 22 Jun. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
