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
Together, these individuals bedevil lawmakers with their flag-waving and their exaggerations about the alien problem.
—
Christine Smallwood, Harpers Magazine, 24 Mar. 2026
But they haven’t been observed directly helping with the long security lines bedeviling passengers and their Department of Homeland Security colleagues in the Transportation Security Administration.
—Emma Hurt, AJC.com, 24 Mar. 2026
Jackson was responding to rising concerns, among Americans of all races, about jobs, wages, affordability, and inequality—concerns that have now bedevilled the country for nearly forty years.
—John Cassidy, New Yorker, 23 Feb. 2026
In a joint interview with the Chronicle, Uzelac and Executive Director Jennifer Delacroix blamed the cancellation on factors bedeviling many performing arts companies struggling to recover from the pandemic.
—Theater Critic, San Francisco Chronicle, 13 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for bedevil
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Christine Smallwood, Harpers Magazine, 24 Mar. 2026
But they haven’t been observed directly helping with the long security lines bedeviling passengers and their Department of Homeland Security colleagues in the Transportation Security Administration.
—Emma Hurt, AJC.com, 24 Mar. 2026
Jackson was responding to rising concerns, among Americans of all races, about jobs, wages, affordability, and inequality—concerns that have now bedevilled the country for nearly forty years.
—John Cassidy, New Yorker, 23 Feb. 2026
In a joint interview with the Chronicle, Uzelac and Executive Director Jennifer Delacroix blamed the cancellation on factors bedeviling many performing arts companies struggling to recover from the pandemic.
—Theater Critic, San Francisco Chronicle, 13 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for bedevil
Cite this Entry
“Bedevil.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/bedevil. Accessed 3 Apr. 2026.
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bedevil
verb
be·dev·il
bi-ˈdev-əl
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