Definition of BEWILDER

Choose the Right Synonym for bewilder

puzzle, perplex, bewilder, distract, nonplus, confound, dumbfound mean to baffle and disturb mentally. puzzle implies existence of a problem difficult to solve. the persistent fever puzzled the doctor perplex adds a suggestion of worry and uncertainty especially about making a necessary decision. a behavior that perplexed her friends bewilder stresses a confusion of mind that hampers clear and decisive thinking. a bewildering number of possibilities distract implies agitation or uncertainty induced by conflicting preoccupations or interests. distracted by personal problems nonplus implies a bafflement that makes orderly planning or deciding impossible. the remark left us utterly nonplussed confound implies temporary mental paralysis caused by astonishment or profound abasement. the tragic news confounded us all dumbfound suggests intense but momentary confounding; often the idea of astonishment is so stressed that it becomes a near synonym of astound. was at first too dumbfounded to reply

Examples of bewilder in a Sentence

the change in policy seems to have bewildered many of our customers

Recent Examples on the Web

Marie Antoinette, at first bewildered by the rules and conventions of the French court, soon becomes its master, leading fashion, gossip and bon gout — while still claiming to care about none of it. — refinery29.com, "Why Marie Antoinette Is Really Mean Girls, Versailles Edition," 10 July 2018 Many locals were bewildered, pointing to the fact that Krasnodar is the only Russian city outside Moscow that had two soccer teams in the country’s top league — Mr. Galitsky’s Krasnodar and the municipal Kuban, one of the oldest teams in Russia. — New York Times, "Russia’s Most Soccer-Mad City, Excluded From the World Cup," 9 July 2018 Other travelers, also visibly bewildered, started scrounging around in their bags for errant packs of Goldfish and squashed energy bars. — Martine Powers, Anchorage Daily News, "TSA screeners nibbling away at travelers' patience. This time over snacks.," 2 July 2018 Other travelers, also visibly bewildered, started scrounging around in their bags for errant packs of Goldfish and squashed energy bars. — Martine Powers, Anchorage Daily News, "TSA screeners nibbling away at travelers' patience. This time over snacks.," 2 July 2018 The urgency to clear out the store bewildered former Minnesota Vikings running back Adrian Peterson, who rushed in looking for the black ride-on toy truck his 5-year-old daughter requested as a gift for her birthday this week. — Jose R. Gonzalez, Houston Chronicle, "Former ‘Toys R Us kids’ scour stores as retail icon says so long," 29 June 2018 Anyone who comes to the series, which was written by Ben Richards and Tom Edge (Ms. Rowling is an executive producer), looking for some of the old Potter magic will be disappointed, or perhaps bewildered. — Mike Hale, New York Times, "Review: ‘C.B. Strike’ Brings J.K. Rowling’s Detective Novels to TV," 31 May 2018 All the same, this sort of misdirection is common during the early, bewildering days after an affair has been discovered. — Amy Dickinson, chicagotribune.com, "Wronged wife blames the cellphone," 2 July 2018 Privacy - Terms Within a few days of cruising, however, the bewildered were few. — David G. Molyneaux, miamiherald, "This cruise ship's elevators may be smarter than you," 30 May 2018

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