bamboozle

play

verb bam·boo·zle \ bam-ˈbü-zəl \

Definition of bamboozle

bamboozled; bamboozling play \-ˈbüz-liŋ, -ˈbü-zə-\

transitive verb

1 :to deceive by underhanded methods :dupe, hoodwink

I got bamboozled by the salesperson to buy a more expensive model.

2 :to confuse, frustrate, or throw off thoroughly or completely

a quarterback bamboozled by an unexpected defense

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bamboozlement

play \-ˈbü-zəl-mənt\ noun

See bamboozle defined for English-language learners

bamboozle was our Word of the Day on 12/07/2016. Hear the podcast!

Examples of bamboozle in a Sentence

bamboozled by con men into buying worthless land in the desert
she's completely bamboozled by the latest changes in the tax code

Recent Examples of bamboozle from the Web

But that doesn’t always work; sometimes T cells still aren’t motivated to attack, even if they haven’t been bamboozled.

— beth mole, Ars Technica, "Custom cancer vaccines safely fight and kill tumors in early human trials," 6 July 2017
Food culture these days may fool you into believing that bacon is the star here — our country is breathless for bacon-wrapped anything — but don't be bamboozled.

— joseph hernandez, chicagotribune.com, "How to build a better BLT -- and add lobster or arugula pesto," 9 May 2017
And yet in an afternoon game in which the Yankees were repeatedly beaten and bamboozled by the elements, Gardner conquered everything — the wind and the Chicago Cubs — with one swing of the bat.

— billy witz, New York Times, "Yankees Defeat Cubs on Ninth-Inning Home Run by Brett Gardner," 5 May 2017
By bringing up driving directions, Affleck completely bamboozles the paparazzi.

— lauren le vine, Vanities, "Ben Affleck Avoids Paparazzi in the Most L.A. Way Possible," 20 Mar. 2017

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

Did You Know?

In 1710, Irish author Jonathan Swift wrote an article on "the continual Corruption of our English Tongue" in which he complained of "the Choice of certain Words invented by some pretty Fellows." Among the inventions Swift disliked were bamboozle, bubble (a dupe), put (a fool), and sham. (Perhaps he objected to the use of sham as a verb; he himself had used the adjective meaning "false" a couple of years previously.) What all these words appear to have in common is a connection to the underworld as jargon of criminals. Other than that, the origin of bamboozle remains a mystery, but the over-300-year-old word has clearly defied Swift's assertion that "All new affected Modes of Speech . . . are the first perishing Parts in any Language."