befuddle

verb

be·​fud·​dle bi-ˈfə-dᵊl 

bē-

befuddled; befuddling; befuddles

transitive verb

1

: to muddle or stupefy with or as if with drink

… befuddled with drink all the time.

—Ellen Glasgow

2

: confuse, perplex

a problem that still befuddles the experts

befuddlement

bi-ˈfə-dᵊl-mənt 

bē-

noun

Synonyms of befuddle

• bewilder
• perplex
• confuse
• baffle
• puzzle

Examples 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

Byrd and DeSantis each noted the many election law changes Florida has instituted since the infamous 2000 presidential election recount — where Palm Beach County’s butterfly ballots befuddled many voters in a razor-thin race. — Gray Rohrer, Miami Herald, 25 Sep. 2026

Those are decreasing in frequency, and the situation has befuddled the USTA. — Matthew Futterman, New York Times, 9 Sep. 2026

Abbas Kiarostami did that in Taste of Cherry, which befuddled certain audiences but then also won the Palme d’Or in 1997. — Nicholas Quah, Vulture, 10 Aug. 2026

The invisible present befuddles each generation in every age. — Literary Hub, 15 July 2026

Word History

Etymology

be- + fuddle

First Known Use

1801, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for befuddle

• cuddle
• huddle
• muddle
• puddle

Kids 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

: confuse sense 1a, perplex

befuddlement

-mənt 

noun