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
Maya Georgi, Rolling Stone, 16 Jan. 2026
In his addled mind, the millions of people in these cities who depend on federal funds for health, transit, education and whatever else are only pawns in a broader struggle to consolidate his own authority by any means necessary.
—New York Daily News Editorial Board, New York Daily News, 15 Jan. 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
The punk band have announced the release of a feature length documentary, titled 40 Years of Fuckin’ Up, that will detail their storied history as drug-addled teen punks-turned-icons.
—Maya Georgi, Rolling Stone, 16 Jan. 2026
In his addled mind, the millions of people in these cities who depend on federal funds for health, transit, education and whatever else are only pawns in a broader struggle to consolidate his own authority by any means necessary.
—New York Daily News Editorial Board, New York Daily News, 15 Jan. 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
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Other signs include a rotten-egg smell in the water, odd noises from the water heater, rust-colored water, and low water pressure.—
Timothy Dale,
Better Homes & Gardens,
27 Feb. 2026
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There’s no sticky floors or rotten wood smell.—
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
25 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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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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Despite reading Whitney’s letter at least twice, Henry — a narcissist — seems baffled that Whitney is not more contrite.—
Amanda Whiting,
Vulture,
23 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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Smart, capable and quick-witted, Toha’s current joy comes from her relationship with Nelly (Khadija Ahmed), the spoiled granddaughter of her employer (Hanan Youssef), a tetchy, elderly diabetic.—
Alissa Simon,
Variety,
25 Feb. 2026
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Trump may be a little spoiled, as the Republican-majority high court has supported most of his positions.—
Tom Zirpoli,
Baltimore Sun,
24 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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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
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After Survivor 50 aired its premiere episode on Wednesday, fans were confused when no official podcast from Jeff Probst appeared in their feeds.—
Staff Author,
Entertainment Weekly,
28 Feb. 2026
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Newer plates have a slash through zeros, which could cause them to be confused with the number eight.—
Chilekasi Adele,
CBS News,
26 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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According to Silverman, the officers unzipped the bag and saw a decomposed head and torso.—
Kyung Lah,
CNN Money,
26 Feb. 2026
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Officers unzipped the bag and found a decomposed head and torso, according to the documents.—
Minyvonne Burke,
NBC news,
25 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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There are driver-specific factors that also increase safety risk on Houston highways, such as fatigue, distracted driving, speeding on suboptimal roads, and insufficient training.—
Wyles Daniel,
USA TODAY,
27 Feb. 2026
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An enforcement campaign typically describes a targeted and visible ticketing effort, most often focused on citations for things like impaired or distracted driving.—
Matthew Kelly,
Kansas City Star,
26 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Addled.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/addled. Accessed 3 Mar. 2026.
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