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 FalveyExamples of baffled in a Sentence
baffled viewers didn't know what to make of the strange antics of the talk show host
Recent Examples on the Web
Scientist can’t be blamed for not recognizing the fleshy glob, because Relicanthus daphneae baffled experts for decades, the American Museum of Natural History reports.
—Mark Price, Charlotte Observer, 22 Apr. 2026
What’s more, the legislation has no clear path to getting a vote on the House floor, which has left some of its backers even more baffled by the pushback.
—Nicholas Wu, semafor.com, 22 Apr. 2026
One outcome — perhaps, a five-point plan While Pakistan, Egypt, Turkey, Saudi Arabia, and others are actively pursuing diplomacy, Iran and Israel are not interested, and the United States appears baffled and unsteady.
—Daniel Kurtzer, New York Daily News, 5 Apr. 2026
One of the best examples of that is phantom limb pain, which for a long time baffled people.
—Margaret Cirino, NPR, 4 Apr. 2026
But some children—Hazel, Evan, and, of course, Jude—baffled Lilian.
—Yiyun Li, New Yorker, 1 Mar. 2026
Emotional rollercoasters for baffled European allies.
—Nick Paton Walsh, CNN Money, 24 Feb. 2026
The world welterweight champion from San Antonio is as baffled as anyone.
—John Whisler, San Antonio Express-News, 20 Feb. 2026
During the latest hearing in the case, Young repeatedly seemed baffled that the country’s top leaders would attempt to implement such a policy.
—Dallas Morning News, 23 Jan. 2026
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Mark Price, Charlotte Observer, 22 Apr. 2026
What’s more, the legislation has no clear path to getting a vote on the House floor, which has left some of its backers even more baffled by the pushback.
—Nicholas Wu, semafor.com, 22 Apr. 2026
One outcome — perhaps, a five-point plan While Pakistan, Egypt, Turkey, Saudi Arabia, and others are actively pursuing diplomacy, Iran and Israel are not interested, and the United States appears baffled and unsteady.
—Daniel Kurtzer, New York Daily News, 5 Apr. 2026
One of the best examples of that is phantom limb pain, which for a long time baffled people.
—Margaret Cirino, NPR, 4 Apr. 2026
But some children—Hazel, Evan, and, of course, Jude—baffled Lilian.
—Yiyun Li, New Yorker, 1 Mar. 2026
Emotional rollercoasters for baffled European allies.
—Nick Paton Walsh, CNN Money, 24 Feb. 2026
The world welterweight champion from San Antonio is as baffled as anyone.
—John Whisler, San Antonio Express-News, 20 Feb. 2026
During the latest hearing in the case, Young repeatedly seemed baffled that the country’s top leaders would attempt to implement such a policy.
—Dallas Morning News, 23 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Baffled.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/baffled. Accessed 23 Apr. 2026.
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