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
Theater Critic, San Francisco Chronicle, 29 Mar. 2026
Or will there be a breaking point, a moment when the addled masses reject the logic and speed of our information environment?
—Charlie Warzel, The Atlantic, 14 Mar. 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
Instead, director Weston Scott’s concept deepens the text, making the addled, voice-hearing brain that could commit or attempt assassination all the more real and dangerous.
—Theater Critic, San Francisco Chronicle, 29 Mar. 2026
Or will there be a breaking point, a moment when the addled masses reject the logic and speed of our information environment?
—Charlie Warzel, The Atlantic, 14 Mar. 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
-
Hydrogen sulfide smells like rotten eggs and ammonia gives off notes of urine, sweat or dead fish.—
Bill Kearney,
Sun Sentinel,
12 June 2026
-
Then there was the rotten-egg smell.—
Matthew Sedacca,
Curbed,
10 June 2026
Adjective
-
With those recent comments, industry workers have been left dazed about whether their jobs are safe.—
Meg Short,
Fortune,
7 June 2026
-
Brith stares, dazed, nonplussed.—
Maggie O’Farrell,
Literary Hub,
2 June 2026
Verb
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They were equally baffled by the aggressive flavorlessness of a Michelob Ultra.—
Dieter Kurtenbach,
Mercury News,
13 June 2026
-
New York Knicks radio broadcaster Tyler Murray was baffled Wednesday night.—
Pete Grathoff,
Kansas City Star,
11 June 2026
Adjective
-
In a lawsuit filed against ICE last year, another former detainee said he was served spoiled milk.—
Seth Klamann,
Denver Post,
9 June 2026
-
In her third season in the WNBA, the once-shining superstar is acting like a spoiled brat.—
Assistant Sports Editor,
Los Angeles Times,
8 June 2026
Adjective
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At the risk of sounding less like a columnist and more like a bewildered bystander … what the heck happened?—
Denise Crosby,
Chicago Tribune,
14 June 2026
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Urged by a call from Hugo to destroy her phone and flee Kansas City fast, before WARDEX can get to her, Margaret also hits the road, accompanied initially by a bewildered Jackson.—
David Rooney,
HollywoodReporter,
9 June 2026
Verb
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Some women who filed lawsuits against Ortega reported they had been confused about whether demeaning or uncomfortable actions the doctor engaged in during exams was within the bounds of necessary medical behavior.—
Emily Hoerner,
Chicago Tribune,
12 June 2026
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MacT’s ability to communicate and his intelligent verbal should not be confused for a soft approach.—
Allan Mitchell,
New York Times,
12 June 2026
Adjective
-
At a time when the Earth was bare, when there were no vertebrates, no trees, no leaves, no flowering plants, and no plants with seeds, millipedes were feeding on decaying mosses, decomposed slime, and primordial gunk.—
Maria Mocerino,
Interesting Engineering,
13 June 2026
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Inspectors also found a decomposed rat in the basement.—
Mamie Bah,
CBS News,
15 May 2026
Adjective
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Kiefer, a former GM executive, left his job and has been working to help change laws about distracted driving in states including Michigan.—
Carol Cain,
CBS News,
12 June 2026
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The top factors for teen crashes in 2025 were distracted driving, speeding, lane violations and following other vehicles too close, according to the Colorado State Patrol.—
Elise Schmelzer,
Denver Post,
10 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Addled.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/addled. Accessed 19 Jun. 2026.
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