bedevil
verb
be·dev·il
bi-ˈde-vəl 
bē-
bedeviled; bedeviling; bedevils
1
: to possess with or as if with a devil
2
: to cause distress : trouble
3
: to change for the worse : spoil
4
: to confuse utterly
Examples of bedevil in a Sentence
The theory bedevils scientists, none of whom have been able to prove it true or false.
The project has been bedeviled by problems since its inception.
Recent Examples on the Web
But this year, Democrats doubt that the issues that bedeviled them four years ago — like post-pandemic learning loss, public school gender policies, or higher crime that got blamed on criminal justice reform — will be on the ballot again.
—
David Weigel, semafor.com, 8 July 2025
Since the Global Financial Crisis, poor productivity has bedeviled the U.K. economy for various reasons, including regional disparities and over-dependence on London and the southeast of England.
—Ian King, CNBC, 25 June 2025
After promising an end to entanglements that have bedeviled Trump’s predecessors, Trump now seems on the cusp of joining the fray in a region where 40,000 Americans are deployed and there are scant off-ramps.
—Philip Elliott, Time, 17 June 2025
The last-minute reliance on SpaceX's Dragon capsule underscored the chasm between Musk's relative upstart company and Boeing, the 108-year-old aerospace giant that has been bedeviled by technical, safety and engineering issues for years.
—Dan Perry, Newsweek, 18 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for bedevil
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
David Weigel, semafor.com, 8 July 2025
Since the Global Financial Crisis, poor productivity has bedeviled the U.K. economy for various reasons, including regional disparities and over-dependence on London and the southeast of England.
—Ian King, CNBC, 25 June 2025
After promising an end to entanglements that have bedeviled Trump’s predecessors, Trump now seems on the cusp of joining the fray in a region where 40,000 Americans are deployed and there are scant off-ramps.
—Philip Elliott, Time, 17 June 2025
The last-minute reliance on SpaceX's Dragon capsule underscored the chasm between Musk's relative upstart company and Boeing, the 108-year-old aerospace giant that has been bedeviled by technical, safety and engineering issues for years.
—Dan Perry, Newsweek, 18 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for bedevil
Cite this Entry
“Bedevil.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/bedevil. Accessed 22 Jul. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
bedevil
verb
be·dev·il
bi-ˈdev-əl
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share