befuddle
verb
be·fud·dle
bi-ˈfə-dᵊl 
bē-
befuddled; befuddling; befuddles
1
: to muddle or stupefy with or as if with drink
… befuddled with drink all the time.—
Ellen Glasgow
Ellen GlasgowExamples of befuddle in a Sentence
most of the applicants were befuddled by the wording of one of the questions on the driving test
Recent Examples on the Web
Shares are erasing some of those two-day losses on Monday, but our overarching point about the befuddling post-earnings market reaction holds true.
—Zev Fima, CNBC, 2 Mar. 2026
Desire Doue let the ball run through his legs, befuddling his marker to such a degree that the only sensible reaction was laughter.
—Jack Lang, New York Times, 26 Feb. 2026
The left-hander from California struck out nine Michigan State Spartans in Sunday's 4-0 victory at UFCU Disch-Falk Field, befuddling his overmatched victims with an electric breaking ball.
—David Eckert, Austin American Statesman, 23 Feb. 2026
Many applicants have received identical messages lately, befuddling students as well as lab heads who may be used to hearing about rejections but not a string of applications simply returned without review.
—Jonathan Wosen, STAT, 11 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for befuddle
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Zev Fima, CNBC, 2 Mar. 2026
Desire Doue let the ball run through his legs, befuddling his marker to such a degree that the only sensible reaction was laughter.
—Jack Lang, New York Times, 26 Feb. 2026
The left-hander from California struck out nine Michigan State Spartans in Sunday's 4-0 victory at UFCU Disch-Falk Field, befuddling his overmatched victims with an electric breaking ball.
—David Eckert, Austin American Statesman, 23 Feb. 2026
Many applicants have received identical messages lately, befuddling students as well as lab heads who may be used to hearing about rejections but not a string of applications simply returned without review.
—Jonathan Wosen, STAT, 11 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for befuddle
Cite this Entry
“Befuddle.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/befuddle. Accessed 9 Mar. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
befuddle
verb
be·fud·dle
bi-ˈfəd-ᵊl
befuddled; befuddling
-ˈfəd-liŋ,
-ᵊl-iŋ
1
: to dull the senses of with or as if with too much drink : stupefy
2
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