flummoxed

adjective

flum·​moxed ˈflə-məkst How to pronounce flummoxed (audio)
-mikst
: completely unable to understand : utterly confused or perplexed
Then, perforce, his eyes returned to the highway as he headed for I-95 and South Carolina, the most flummoxed driver on the road.Clive Gammon
"Seems to know as much about the inside of my larders as I do myself!" thought Mr. Baggins, who was feeling positively flummoxedJ. R. R. Tolkien

Examples of flummoxed in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web But stablecoins — an asset class worth roughly $120 billion, according to CoinMarketCap — have also raised alarms in Washington and flummoxed policymakers. Eli Tan, Washington Post, 7 Aug. 2023 The day's White House pool report – which many news outlets rely on for a tick-tock of the president's public schedule – also appeared flummoxed at Biden's remark. Charles Creitz, Fox News, 16 June 2023 And first-time passengers are so flummoxed by it that there are online tutorials. Dawn Gilbertson, WSJ, 7 Dec. 2022 Tom Crowley, the chief executive of Popeyes U.K., told the newspaper that focus groups showed Britons were a bit flummoxed by the buttermilk biscuit. William Thornton | Wthornton@al.com, al, 22 Nov. 2021 The tech’s success rate is questionable, however, with some users being left flummoxed or even a little disturbed by the chatbot’s responses to their questions. Chloe Taylor, Fortune, 7 June 2023 Defensive end Arden Key faked an outside speed rush, bolted inside and wasn’t touched by flummoxed rookie offensive tackle Jaylon Moore during a one-on-one drill during the 49ers’ training-camp practice Wednesday. Eric Branch, San Francisco Chronicle, 11 Aug. 2021 The flummoxed, totally unprepared expert immediately panics. Joe Queenan, WSJ, 3 Dec. 2020 That’s especially true when authorities seem as flummoxed as the Biden Administration was until Thursday. The Editorial Board, wsj.com, 13 Apr. 2023 See More

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'flummoxed.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1832, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of flummoxed was in 1832

Dictionary Entries Near flummoxed

Cite this Entry

“Flummoxed.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/flummoxed. Accessed 28 Sep. 2023.

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