Definition of BAFFLE

Choose the Right Synonym for baffle

Verb

frustrate, thwart, foil, baffle, balk mean to check or defeat another's plan or block achievement of a goal. frustrate implies making vain or ineffectual all efforts however vigorous or persistent. frustrated attempts at government reform thwart suggests frustration or checking by crossing or opposing. the army thwarted his attempt at a coup foil implies checking or defeating so as to discourage further effort. foiled by her parents, he stopped trying to see her baffle implies frustration by confusing or puzzling. baffled by the maze of rules and regulations balk suggests the interposing of obstacles or hindrances. officials felt that legal restrictions had balked their efforts to control crime

Examples of baffle in a Sentence

Verb

I was baffled by many of the scientific terms used in the article. the language barrier baffled everyone and discouraged us from attempting another teleconference

Recent Examples on the Web: Verb

Leonard’s absence has certainly been baffling this season. — Rohan Nadkarni, SI.com, "NBA Power Rankings: Cavs Plummet as Rumors Swirl," 23 Jan. 2018 She was baffled by the hand-wringing trickling through the scientific literature on screen time. — Jessica Wapner, SELF, "How Worried Do You Really Need to Be About Your Screen Time?," 7 Feb. 2019 This decision has baffled some, considering Google's business model of making money off of users' data—something Apple has spoken out against numerous times. — Valentina Palladino, Ars Technica, "Tim Cook defends using Google as primary search engine on Apple devices," 19 Nov. 2018 And Syria's civil war is still a human tragedy that has baffled successive U.S. presidents. — Jonathan Allen /, NBC News, "Trump overstates what he's 'accomplished.' Again.," 14 Apr. 2018 Trump’s return to Twitter is baffling in many respects; China escalates trade tensions. — Ella Nilsen, Vox, "Vox Sentences: It looks like Trump had a ... productive Easter," 3 Apr. 2018 Somehow, after taking leads of 10-0, 27-10 and that gaping 65-43, No. 2 seed Cincinnati went trudging off to summer all baffled and bummed. — Chuck Culpepper, chicagotribune.com, "Nevada is the unkillable zombie of the NCAA tournament's haunted graveyard region," 18 Mar. 2018 The concept of going to a restaurant, not eating the food, and then exercising at said restaurant is just baffling. — Christopher Rosa, Glamour, "This Victoria's Secret Model Is Being Accused of Fat Shaming for Exercising at an In-N-Out Burger," 17 Dec. 2018 But if Perry is baffling, that is as nothing compared to what ensues in Juliet’s foray into espionage. — Katherine A. Powers, WSJ, "‘Transcription’ Review: Heard During Wartime," 20 Sep. 2018

Recent Examples on the Web: Noun

For those who are looking for pillow-top comfort instead of foam, this 3-inch bed topper is filled with two layers of 550 fill power down and feathers inside a cotton shell, while baffle box construction keeps the down clusters evenly distributed. — Lexie Sachs, Good Housekeeping, "7 Top-Rated Mattress Toppers, According to Textile Pros," 19 Dec. 2018 Woodstoves come in two basic types: with and without a catalyst, which is a honeycomb-like baffle plated with precious metals (left in the image). — Roy Berendson, Popular Mechanics, "The Ultimate Guide To Cutting and Splitting Firewood," 28 Sep. 2018 The standard way of dealing with this is to add baffles or suppressors on the end of the barrel to divert and slow down the gas. — David Hambling, Popular Mechanics, "The Science of Russia's New Silent Sniper Rifle," 29 Aug. 2018 The speakers point downward, so a pair of baffles at the bottom called deflectors—one tuned to the frequencies emitted by each speaker—redirect the sound outward, in all directions, through the speaker grille. — Kevin Dupzyk, Popular Mechanics, "What It Looks Like When You Take Apart an Amazon Echo," 24 Feb. 2017 The 20-denier outer fabric is pleasantly soft and quiet, and low-stretch baffles ensure a stable sleeping surface. — Outside Online, "The Best Women’s Thru-Hiking Gear of 2018," 15 May 2018 Their thick bark and tall straight trunks — branchless for the first 150 to 200 feet — function like massive acoustic baffles, aided by a sound-damping carpet of dense duff. — Robert Earle Howells, SFChronicle.com, "Should we hide the locations of Earth’s greatest trees?," 3 July 2018 The horizontal baffles create a stable, supportive sleeping surface, and foil panels stitched inside help hold warm air near your body, adding necessary nighttime warmth underneath you. — Wes Siler, Outside Online, "Plan Your First Backpacking Trip," 13 June 2018 Keep in mind that your homemade baffle will need to be smooth and wide so the squirrels can’t get a grip on it or jump over it. — Jean Nick, Good Housekeeping, "8 Ways To Keep Squirrels Away From Your Bird Feeders," 20 June 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'baffle.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.