1
as in rotten
having undergone organic breakdown
addled eggs found on a long abandoned hen's nest
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in dazed
suffering from mental confusion
one of the more addled audience members confused Ghana with Guyana
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in baffled
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
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of addled
Guy Lodge, Variety, 16 Feb. 2026
In mid-August, the Governor’s official X account began mocking the President in his own addled, grandiose, all-caps style.
—Nathan Heller, New Yorker, 1 Feb. 2026
Eleanor Pringle, Fortune, 4 Feb. 2026
That decision, even if only for exploratory purposes, should be left to a Congress whose majority isn’t addled by either devotion to Trump or fear of him.
—Sun Sentinel Editorial Board, Sun Sentinel, 16 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for addled
Adjective
Sometimes spliced into proceedings by editors Dávid Jancsó and Ilka Janka Nagy with blink-like brevity, these flashbacks seemingly connote the intrusive thoughts and blackouts of an addled, recuperating mind.
—Guy Lodge, Variety, 16 Feb. 2026
In mid-August, the Governor’s official X account began mocking the President in his own addled, grandiose, all-caps style.
—Nathan Heller, New Yorker, 1 Feb. 2026
Verb
An environment addled by politics isn’t one most CEOs relish, Griffin, 57, told the Wall Street Journal’s Invest Live conference yesterday.
—Eleanor Pringle, Fortune, 4 Feb. 2026
That decision, even if only for exploratory purposes, should be left to a Congress whose majority isn’t addled by either devotion to Trump or fear of him.
—Sun Sentinel Editorial Board, Sun Sentinel, 16 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for addled
Recent Examples of Synonyms for addled
Adjective
-
Dahl’s books are fanciful and imaginative, but also dark, cynical, and mean (and, unfortunately, often reflected his real-life ugliness), spinning stories in which gruesome and unpleasant fates befell rotten kids, and adults were frequently selfish, cruel, and not to be trusted.—
Wilson Chapman,
IndieWire,
10 Apr. 2026
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Repair Or Replace Damaged Parts Replace any boards or beams that are structurally damaged, cracked or split, rotten, or severely splintered.—
Karen Brewer Grossman,
Southern Living,
10 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
No one is immune to the lampooning, even the dazed and confused sons and daughters who get sidelined and pawned off due to their parents’ ambitions, neuroses and desires to achieve greatness.—
Randy Myers,
Mercury News,
7 Apr. 2026
-
The boyfriend is dead and Betty helps Laura, relatively unharmed but dazed, back to her house.—
Robert Abele,
Los Angeles Times,
19 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Government officials, who had already introduced measures to ease the burden of price rises a few weeks ago, were baffled over the rationale behind the protests because the global price spike is due to the Middle East conflict that restricted oil exports.—
Brian Melley,
Fortune,
13 Apr. 2026
-
Government officials, who had already introduced measures to ease the burden of price increases two weeks ago, have been baffled over the rationale behind the protests because the global price spike is due to the conflict in the Mideast that has restricted oil exports.—
Brian Melley,
Los Angeles Times,
12 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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The bins — often containing wheat, oats or barley — also bring additional risks because grain dust accumulation can contribute to fire hazards, spoiled grain can expose workers to potentially toxic substances and falling into the grain can quickly swallow and suffocate a person.—
Desiree Anello,
PEOPLE,
11 Apr. 2026
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Even the leader of the free world can exhibit the impetuous, manipulative, disruptive behaviors of a spoiled child — behaviors that go beyond classroom disruptions and that can potentially disrupt the entire world.—
Chicago Tribune,
Chicago Tribune,
9 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
This sometimes left audience members bewildered about what had actually happened.—
ArsTechnica,
ArsTechnica,
6 Apr. 2026
-
The passenger in the back eventually looked up from her phone, noticed Louise, and locked eyes with this bewildered-looking woman blocking the crosswalk.—
Catherine Lacey,
New Yorker,
5 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
The south London BBQers were confused.—
Max Goldbart,
Deadline,
13 Apr. 2026
-
Microphones are a tool for speaking out loud, or singing, before a crowd, and Lee uses the object as a symbol of her own desire to speak and be understood, even when she is confused by competing cultures and unsure of her own voice.—
Ray Mark Rinaldi,
Denver Post,
13 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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From having the viscous juices of decomposed leaves that kept her plump leak through a tear in her side, as happened to a few of her siblings.—
María Ospina,
The Dial,
31 Mar. 2026
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The Livonia Police Department is asking for the public's help in identifying the badly decomposed body of a man found March 28, partially submerged in the creek near Hines Drive and Levan Road.—
Georgea Kovanis,
Freep.com,
29 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said that distracted driving was responsible for 3,275 traffic deaths in 2023.—
Bailey Allen,
Cape Cod Times,
11 Apr. 2026
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Spending habits can also help determine a player’s level of maturity, revealing whether they’re disciplined or become distracted.—
Rob Maaddi,
The Orlando Sentinel,
9 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Addled.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/addled. Accessed 16 Apr. 2026.
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