bedevil

play

verb be·dev·il \ bi-ˈde-vəl , bē- \

Definition of bedevil

transitive verb

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

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bedevilment

play \-mənt\ noun

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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 of bedevil from the Web

For the past seven seasons, no position has bedeviled the Eagles like cornerback.

— marcus hayes, Philly.com, "Chatting with Aaron Grymes, the Birds' neat freak cornerback and Canadian Football League vet," 11 Aug. 2017
As Kowitt wrote: Execution problems bedeviled [Jung's] far-reaching growth plans; management made bold projections about the future of the business without the strategies or expertise to deliver results.

— valentina zarya, Fortune, "Avon CEO Sheri McCoy Ousted After Activist Pressure," 3 Aug. 2017
The 15th Avenue corridor has been bedeviled by several public works projects that severely limited traffic.

— kim chatelain, NOLA.com, "It's clear sailing on Covington's 15th Avenue," 26 July 2017
The Knight incident underscores broader problems that have bedeviled the agency for years, including a high number of cases in which senior officials have been hit with sanctions for personal misconduct.

— craig whitlock, chicagotribune.com, "FBI probed complaints that Bobby Knight groped women at U.S. spy agency," 7 July 2017
The Knight incident underscores broader problems that have bedeviled the agency for years, including a high number of cases in which senior officials have been hit with sanctions for personal misconduct.

— craig whitlock, Alaska Dispatch News, "FBI investigated complaints that Bobby Knight groped women at U.S. spy agency," 7 July 2017
Poverty is a horrible, bedeviling force that invades and infects every aspect of our lives and communities – our homes, our pantries, our schools, our careers, and our health.

— wes moore, Time, "Wes Moore: The War on Poverty Has Become a War on the Poor," 4 July 2017
Mark Phelan/Detroit Free Press Attempts by automakers to reinvent the gear shift lever have bedeviled brands from Acura to Jeep, but a new design from GMC may have solved the dilemma.

— mark phelan, Detroit Free Press, "GMC bets on new shifter design in 2018 Terrain SUV," 2 July 2017
One of the federal government's low income phone subsidy programs is bedeviled by fraud, a watchdog agency investigation concluded.

— aaron pressman, Fortune, "German Just Legalized Same-Sex Marriage," 1 July 2017

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