as in dazed
suffering from mental confusion
my brain grew more and more addle as I made my way through the tax instructions
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in to bewilder
to throw into a state of mental uncertainty
after slipping on the ice, Bethany was so addled that she left her groceries where they'd fallen
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of addle
Ann Hornaday, Twin Cities, 25 July 2019
Zoë Schlanger, The Atlantic, 9 Apr. 2025
Members of a generation that’s been addled by the internet’s intrusions since birth, many of them seem much less bullish about chasing mass appeal.
—Rachel Syme, The New Yorker, 12 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for addle
Adjective
Soon enough, the foursome are in the back of that truck in an adventure that begins as a moneymaking scheme and promises to become a heroic journey into the heart of white supremacy at its most virulent and addle-minded.
—Ann Hornaday, Twin Cities, 25 July 2019
Verb
Newer findings about how air pollution may addle a body—by worsening mental health or triggering more cases of neurodegenerative disease, for example—haven’t yet been included in the EPA’s risk-benefit assessments of air-quality regulations, Casey added.
—Zoë Schlanger, The Atlantic, 9 Apr. 2025
Members of a generation that’s been addled by the internet’s intrusions since birth, many of them seem much less bullish about chasing mass appeal.
—Rachel Syme, The New Yorker, 12 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for addle
Recent Examples of Synonyms for addle
Adjective
-
The same woman who used to have fun behind her camera now seems sleepy, dazed, and even drugged.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
5 Sep. 2025
-
Some seemed visibly dazed to suddenly be back in their homeland.—
Patrick Oppmann,
CNN Money,
2 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
And aren’t our real-life romantic complications bewildering enough?—
Stephanie Zacharek,
Time,
4 Sep. 2025
-
Its ginormous investments in higher-value, tech-heavy sectors from smartphones to autos to semiconductors to biotechnology are disrupting the global landscape at bewildering speed.—
William Pesek,
Forbes.com,
27 Aug. 2025
Adjective
-
Everybody seems bewildered by this news, his own wife most of all.—
Ben Rosenstock,
Vulture,
10 Sep. 2025
-
Layered in cream, bruised, bewildered, bald.—
Anna Cafolla,
Vogue,
30 Aug. 2025
Verb
-
The result is a set of policies that has baffled some China experts, or at least raised questions about the president’s stance on America’s friendly rival.—
Christian Datoc,
The Washington Examiner,
12 Sep. 2025
-
In the last few years, researchers have stumbled upon baffling signals from deep space, uncovered strange features hiding beneath our oceans, and found clues that hint at life’s secrets on other worlds.—
Kaif Shaikh,
Interesting Engineering,
11 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
Travelers fixate on aviation flight safety, but the real threats are on the ground — from escalator accidents and fake Wi-Fi to distracted walking and theft.—
Christopher Elliott,
Forbes.com,
13 Sep. 2025
-
However, Garraty runs back and convinces his friend to walk a little further with him before taking advantage of McVries' distracted state to do what McVries had planned to do for him.—
Megan McCluskey,
Time,
12 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
For nearly 20 years, astronomers have been perplexed by the strange disk of dust and debris circling Fomalhaut, a bright star just 25 light-years from Earth.—
Rupendra Brahambhatt,
Interesting Engineering,
7 Sep. 2025
-
Many historians have been perplexed by how such a seemingly simple man as Shakespeare could have written works of such grandeur and depth.—
Bilge Ebiri,
Vulture,
30 Aug. 2025
Adjective
-
An increasing number of boys are lonely, isolated and confused, wrestling with the aftermath of the #MeToo movement and the expectations of rigid masculinity, which has been widely characterized as toxic.—
Don Riddell,
CNN Money,
13 Sep. 2025
-
The young men in Bruins blue and gold staggering off the field afterwards dazed, confused.—
Mirjam Swanson,
Oc Register,
13 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Yes, God confuses the language and scatters everyone, thereby creating linguistic and cultural diversity.—
John Fugelsang
September 12,
Literary Hub,
12 Sep. 2025
-
At one point, O’Steen was confused by a question, and the resulting back-and-forth was reminiscent of an Abbott and Costello repartee.—
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
12 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Addle.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/addle. Accessed 18 Sep. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share