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
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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
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Recent Examples of addle
Ann Hornaday, Twin Cities, 25 July 2019
Marco Della Cava, USA Today, 10 June 2025
The surfer is increasingly addled by visions that come to him in harrowing split-second blackouts.
—Glenn Kenny, New York Times, 1 May 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
By 1971, with the band addled by drug use and internal strife, Sly and the Family Stone would increasingly lose tour bookings and fail to produce music that matched the songs of just a few years prior.
—Marco Della Cava, USA Today, 10 June 2025
The surfer is increasingly addled by visions that come to him in harrowing split-second blackouts.
—Glenn Kenny, New York Times, 1 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for addle
Recent Examples of Synonyms for addle
Adjective
-
Still, some songs can disrupt our dazed habit of barely listening and give us something to participate in.—
Mitch Therieau,
New Yorker,
7 Feb. 2026
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But plenty of people tell of being left dazed and destabilized by ayahuasca ceremonies and struggling to return to their previous lives; some make sudden life changes that only bring distress and further trauma.—
Mattha Busby,
Rolling Stone,
16 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Even a principled, well-meaning actor like Claude could face bewildering ethical conflicts.—
Gideon Lewis-Kraus,
New Yorker,
9 Feb. 2026
-
Oswalt confesses being bewildered by Bamford at first.—
Lisa Kennedy,
Variety,
30 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
Olivier tried successfully to get the reader to understand how a gentle, pacific young man could come to kill more than a thousand people, and so capturing the tone and empathetic portrayal not only of Simo Häyhä and his colleagues but also of the often-bewildered Russian soldiers was essential.—
Erik Pedersen,
Oc Register,
30 Jan. 2026
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The usually positive Gauff went negative, lacked energy and seemed bewildered and overwhelmed.—
Merlisa Lawrence Corbett,
Forbes.com,
27 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
The continued controversy over the Bad Bunny Super Bowl performance baffles me.—
Letters to the Editor,
The Orlando Sentinel,
18 Feb. 2026
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Yet Howe, his coaches and recruitment staff were baffled by such early criticism.—
Anantaajith Raghuraman,
New York Times,
13 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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Marylanders would be wise to consider whether the state can endure another four years of a distracted governor.—
Torrey Snow,
Baltimore Sun,
18 Feb. 2026
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Raymond is the logical second in command and the one who gets frustrated when Godwin becomes more and more distracted.—
Daniel Fienberg,
HollywoodReporter,
16 Feb. 2026
Verb
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She also was perplexed at the city’s inaction while noting a new leader offers a fresh perspective.—
Ishani Desai,
Sacbee.com,
13 Feb. 2026
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The moment became viral on social media, with some X users perplexed at the interview.—
Lea Veloso,
StyleCaster,
11 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
Many people are confused because they’ve been placed in a new district.—
Rachel Royster,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
14 Feb. 2026
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What’s troubling about the drop in vaccination rates, however, is that confused — and at times contradictory — public debate around vaccines has almost certainly driven that decline.—
Josh M. Shepherd,
The Orlando Sentinel,
13 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Restaurants that have a smaller 3% charge to cover healthcare might leave customers confused on how to proceed.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
20 Feb. 2026
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Netflix representatives have been warning investors not to confuse the expiration of the Hart-Scott-Rodino waiting period with regulatory clearance, citing examples where DOJ investigations have continued, per a note from Guggenheim Securities this week.—
Jill Goldsmith,
Deadline,
20 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Addle.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/addle. Accessed 22 Feb. 2026.
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