1
: extremely confused or puzzled
… his explanation of a piano's key action will leave you more baffled than before.—
Martin Levine
Martin LevineMolecular biologists became even more baffled when they looked at the messenger RNAs: many of the molecules were longer than the DNA from which they had been transcribed.—John Rennie
John RennieIn Miss Kate's eyes there was a troubled, baffled look …—Edna Ferber
Edna FerberWe have all heard novelists testify to the fact that, beginning a new book, they are utterly baffled as to how to proceed …—Donald Barthelme
Donald Barthelme2
: equipped with a baffle
Ventilation openings are baffled to prevent stray light from reaching the operator's eyes …—Bausch & Lomb Catalog
Bausch & Lomb CatalogA baffled fuel cell keeps the weight in place.—Kevin Falvey
Kevin Falvey
Synonyms
Examples of baffled in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
The trial was an attempt to bring an ending, at last, to a mystery that had tortured her family and baffled strangers, including me.
—Monica Hesse, Washington Post, 9 Aug. 2023
The insulation is a reflective film, with a baffled air chamber design, which helps keep it quiet.
—WIRED, 18 June 2023
The removal of the $347 million project, nearly half of which would be funded from UW-Madison donors, baffled members of the business community that are struggling to hire enough engineers.
—Kelly Meyerhofer, Journal Sentinel, 13 June 2023
Tech aficionados and baffled bystanders, brace yourselves; the world is about to change.
—Geoffrey A. Fowler, Washington Post, 18 Mar. 2023
The ending left me a little baffled and wanting to discuss!
—Marie Claire, 1 Sep. 2021
As the audience erupted with laughter, the camera zoomed in on Steve’s baffled look.
—Selena Barrientos, Good Housekeeping, 14 Dec. 2020
The agency’s earlier guidance to the contrary baffled health experts who couldn’t fathom why the nation’s top public health agency would say such a thing amid a pandemic that has been difficult to control.
—Chronicle Staff, SFChronicle.com, 22 Sep. 2020
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Monica Hesse, Washington Post, 9 Aug. 2023
The insulation is a reflective film, with a baffled air chamber design, which helps keep it quiet.
—WIRED, 18 June 2023
The removal of the $347 million project, nearly half of which would be funded from UW-Madison donors, baffled members of the business community that are struggling to hire enough engineers.
—Kelly Meyerhofer, Journal Sentinel, 13 June 2023
Tech aficionados and baffled bystanders, brace yourselves; the world is about to change.
—Geoffrey A. Fowler, Washington Post, 18 Mar. 2023
The ending left me a little baffled and wanting to discuss!
—Marie Claire, 1 Sep. 2021
As the audience erupted with laughter, the camera zoomed in on Steve’s baffled look.
—Selena Barrientos, Good Housekeeping, 14 Dec. 2020
The agency’s earlier guidance to the contrary baffled health experts who couldn’t fathom why the nation’s top public health agency would say such a thing amid a pandemic that has been difficult to control.
—Chronicle Staff, SFChronicle.com, 22 Sep. 2020
See More
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'baffled.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
First Known Use
1606, in the meaning defined at sense 1
Dictionary Entries Near baffled
Cite this Entry
“Baffled.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/baffled. Accessed 30 Nov. 2023.
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More from Merriam-Webster on baffled
Nglish: Translation of baffled for Spanish Speakers
Britannica English: Translation of baffled for Arabic Speakers
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