1
as in rotten
having undergone organic breakdown
addled eggs found on a long abandoned hen's nest
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in dazed
suffering from mental confusion
one of the more addled audience members confused Ghana with Guyana
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in baffled
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
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of addled
Theater Critic, San Francisco Chronicle, 29 Mar. 2026
Or will there be a breaking point, a moment when the addled masses reject the logic and speed of our information environment?
—Charlie Warzel, The Atlantic, 14 Mar. 2026
Eleanor Pringle, Fortune, 4 Feb. 2026
That decision, even if only for exploratory purposes, should be left to a Congress whose majority isn’t addled by either devotion to Trump or fear of him.
—Sun Sentinel Editorial Board, Sun Sentinel, 16 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for addled
Adjective
Instead, director Weston Scott’s concept deepens the text, making the addled, voice-hearing brain that could commit or attempt assassination all the more real and dangerous.
—Theater Critic, San Francisco Chronicle, 29 Mar. 2026
Or will there be a breaking point, a moment when the addled masses reject the logic and speed of our information environment?
—Charlie Warzel, The Atlantic, 14 Mar. 2026
Verb
An environment addled by politics isn’t one most CEOs relish, Griffin, 57, told the Wall Street Journal’s Invest Live conference yesterday.
—Eleanor Pringle, Fortune, 4 Feb. 2026
That decision, even if only for exploratory purposes, should be left to a Congress whose majority isn’t addled by either devotion to Trump or fear of him.
—Sun Sentinel Editorial Board, Sun Sentinel, 16 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for addled
Recent Examples of Synonyms for addled
Adjective
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The gas Citizens Energy serves customers, typically methane, is naturally odorless so the company adds mercaptan, which smells like sulfur or rotten eggs, to serve as a sentinel in case there's a gas leak.—
Karl Schneider,
IndyStar,
10 Dec. 2025
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Filming Will Smith's TV sitcom The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air was admittedly a bit of a rotten experience for '90s fitness legend and Stop the Insanity!—
Joey Nolfi,
Entertainment Weekly,
30 Nov. 2025
Adjective
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Meanwhile, the Golden Globes has officially added a podcast category, and even though no one quite knows what to make of it, folks seem dazed enough to roll with it nevertheless.—
Nicholas Quah,
Vulture,
8 Dec. 2025
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Then Ron strides across the stage and sits down on an office chair that collapses into pieces underneath, leaving him sprawled on his back, dazed, and humiliated before his bosses and subordinates.—
Miles Klee,
Rolling Stone,
12 Nov. 2025
Verb
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New York Knicks radio broadcaster Tyler Murray was baffled Wednesday night.—
Pete Grathoff,
Kansas City Star,
11 June 2026
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This new dating trend is leaving people baffled and heartbroken.—
Charles Trepany,
USA Today,
9 June 2026
Adjective
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In a lawsuit filed against ICE last year, another former detainee said he was served spoiled milk.—
Seth Klamann,
Denver Post,
9 June 2026
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Many neurotoxins, like plant alkaloids, bacterial toxins and spoiled meat, disrupt the nervous system in ways that degrade the brain’s ability to coordinate its spatial reference frames.—
Scott Travers,
Forbes.com,
7 June 2026
Adjective
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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
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The noise in the Garden was now basically a bewildered jet engine, a roar that was tinged with disbelief.—
Kyle Feldscher,
CNN Money,
11 June 2026
Verb
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The novel part of the counterclaim is the claim that TP-Link has successfully confused American consumers and retailers about ditching its Chinese ties.—
Michael Kan,
PC Magazine,
12 June 2026
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The shirts were polarizing, however, with some fans confused about Swift's attendance.—
Marina Watts,
Entertainment Weekly,
11 June 2026
Adjective
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The decomposed body of a 52-year-old man was discovered on a sailboat docked at Newtown Creek in Queens, police said Sunday.—
Roni Jacobson,
New York Daily News,
7 July 2025
Adjective
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About one in three nutrias hooked wide left, into the crowd, scattering those audience members who weren’t too distracted or impaired to notice.—
Nathaniel Rich,
Harpers Magazine,
20 Aug. 2025
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Baier, 55, was seen getting a ticket for distracted driving by an MPD officer.—
Rachel Raposas,
People.com,
20 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Addled.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/addled. Accessed 18 Jun. 2026.
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