be·wil·der·ment | \ bi-ˈwil-dər-mənt 
, bē- \
, bē- \Definition of bewilderment
1 : the quality or state of being lost, perplexed, or confused : the quality or state of being bewildered She stared at them in bewilderment.
2 : a complicated or confusing state or condition : a bewildering tangle or confusion
a bewilderment of streets
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Synonyms for bewilderment
Synonyms
- bafflement,
- bamboozlement,
- befuddlement,
- bemusement,
- bewilderedness,
- confusedness,
- confusion,
- discombobulation,
- distraction,
- fog,
- head-scratching,
- maze
- [chiefly dialect],
- muddle,
- mystification,
- perplexity,
- puzzlement,
- tangle,
- whirl
Examples of bewilderment in a Sentence
the slightest change in her daily routine leaves her in complete bewilderment
Recent Examples on the Web Andres Oppenheimer expressed bewilderment that Cuba could be elected to the United Nations Human Rights Council by its Latin America neighbors.
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Gary Prevost, Star Tribune, "Counterpoint: Cuba belongs on the human rights council," 9 Oct. 2020 Educators expressed bewilderment with many of the president’s comments.
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Author: Moriah Balingit, Laura Meckler, Anchorage Daily News, "Trump alleges ‘left-wing indoctrination’ in schools, says he will create commission to push more ‘pro-American’ history," 18 Sep. 2020 Or shake your head in bewilderment over the brutal 46 minutes?
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Chris Fedor, cleveland, "Do Cleveland Cavaliers regret not drafting Michael Porter Jr. in 2018? Hey, Chris!," 12 Sep. 2020 Students seemed to view the protest with bewilderment; a few stopped to snap photos or videos of Harbaugh, but most walked right past and continued on with their day.
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Orion Sang, Detroit Free Press, "Michigan football players on mission to get Big Ten to reverse course," 5 Sep. 2020 At other times, according to those familiar with the remarks, Trump has expressed bewilderment that people choose the military over making money.
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Peter Baker And Maggie Haberman New York Times, Star Tribune, "Trump faces outrage over reported mocking remarks about U.S. soldiers," 4 Sep. 2020 Via interpreter, the members shared their elation and bewilderment.
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Natalie Morin, refinery29.com, "BTS Open Up About The Personal Significance Of Their Historic No. 1 Hit “Dynamite”," 2 Sep. 2020 But when almost nothing is normal — when news headlines, personal grief, anxiety, bewilderment and omnipresent tension crowd out a deeper sense of life’s complexity and of the human continuum — a heavy dose of art is medicinal.
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Sebastian Smee, Washington Post, "I just went to the Met and MoMA after five months away from museums. Someone, please, pick me up off the floor.," 1 Sep. 2020 The comment drew instant ridicule and bewilderment on social media.
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Ronald J. Hansen, The Arizona Republic, "Sen. Martha McSally remark about fasting donors draws laughs from the left," 22 Aug. 2020
See MoreThese example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'bewilderment.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
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Time Traveler for bewilderment
The first known use of bewilderment was in 1793
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