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

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 That’s a particular thing, that sort of cornball comedy, relocating the ornery hillbilly or farmer to another environment that is baffling to the city people. — Aaron Gilbreath, Longreads, "Publishing the Best of the Desert: An Interview With Ken Layne," 25 Apr. 2018 The case of a Seattle-Tacoma airport ground worker, who seized an empty Horizon Air airplane and flew it for nearly an hour before crashing, has baffled experts. — Barbara Peterson, Condé Nast Traveler, "How Did the Horizon Air Worker Fly a Plane Without Formal Training?," 13 Aug. 2018 Masters were sometimes baffled at their slave’s flight. — Michael E. Ruane, Washington Post, "Ads for runaway slaves in British newspapers show the cruelty of the ‘genteel’," 3 July 2018 Watch: Jordan Peele Plays With the Greatest Horror Movie Weapons Lena wants answers—and so does the government, which is similarly baffled about the circumstances of her husband’s loss and return. — Scott Meslow, GQ, "Annihilation Review: This Movie Will Get Under Your Skin," 23 Feb. 2018 Coping with infertility, and the treatments available, can often leave women baffled...and feeling very alone. — Norine Dworkin-mcdaniel, Redbook, "Infertility Treatments: What Women Need To Know," 10 Oct. 2011 The lack of wireless controllers and a dedicated home button are baffling, and there is a list of other classic games that should have been included over the likes of Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six or Cool Boarders 2. — Andrew Webster, The Verge, "PlayStation Classic review: a journey through the exciting, awkward days of early 3D games," 27 Nov. 2018

Recent Examples on the Web: Noun

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 From there the plot bends and baffles in ways that I am neither obliged nor able to summarize. — Justin Chang, latimes.com, "Cannes delivers a triumph with Lee Chang-dong’s slow-‘Burning’ masterwork," 18 May 2018

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.