bedevil

verb be·dev·il \ bi-ˈde-vəl , bē- \

|Updated on: 19 Jun 2018

Examples: bedevil in a Sentence

Definition of bedevil

bedeviled; bedeviling; bedevils

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

These dire predictions bear heavily on another issue bedeviling Congress at the moment: immigration reform.

— george melloan, WSJ, "Social Security Needs Immigrants," 14 June 2018
For 27 years, Greece and Macedonia have been bedeviled by one of the oddest disputes in international diplomacy — what the smaller, younger and landlocked country of 2.1 million should be called, at home and abroad.

— Washington Post, "AP Explains: What the Greek-Macedonian name deal is about," 13 June 2018
But this introduces the same hold-out problem—where small groups can exert undue influence—as bedevils property markets.

— The Economist, "Don’t shrink the role of markets—expand it," 10 May 2018
Show me the money Court Buddy’s move illustrates a problem that continues to bedevil Miami’s startup ecosystem: a shortfall of capital investment.

— rob wile, miamiherald, "Where do we go from here? Miami's tech leaders say city needs next startup vision | Miami Herald," 22 Apr. 2018
Even with the reduction in shootings and deaths, Chicago continues to be bedeviled by gun violence.

— aamer madhani, USA TODAY, "Slayings, shootings down in Chicago in 1st two months of 2018," 1 Mar. 2018
The streetcar service was closed on Tuesday for a record-long period as icy conditions bedeviled the Kansas City area.

— max londberg, lynn horsley, glenn e. rice and kaitlyn schwers, kansascity, "Ice halts streetcar, closes schools and cancels flights at KCI on Tuesday," 20 Feb. 2018
Thompson, a veterinarian from Delran, was doing her part to help Cooper University Hospital in Camden combat a shortage of intravenous fluids that is bedeviling hospitals throughout the country even as an unusually bad flu season fills their beds.

— stacey burling, Philly.com, "As they fight flu, hospitals cope with shortage of IV fluids," 14 Feb. 2018
The debate over buy-backs is bedevilled by six muddles.

— The Economist, "Six muddles about share buy-backs," 31 May 2018

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.