as in baffling
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
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for addling
Verb
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Georgia basketball’s matchup with Tennessee ended in baffling fashion Wednesday night.—
Olivia Sayer,
AJC.com,
29 Jan. 2026 -
The pilot of a private jet reportedly made an eerie discovery while flying thousands of feet over Rhode Island, marking the latest in unexplained encounters baffling both experts and civilians alike.—
Julia Bonavita,
FOXNews.com,
22 Dec. 2025
Verb
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Michigan's moose population has stagnated after being reintroduced in the 1980s, puzzling scientists.—
Free Press staff,
Freep.com,
19 Feb. 2026
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Polestar’s willingness to deviate from the status quo of carmaking was commendable, but its strategies have been puzzling since the very beginning.—
Adam Ismail,
The Drive,
18 Feb. 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
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And aren’t our real-life romantic complications bewildering enough?—
Stephanie Zacharek,
Time,
4 Sep. 2025
Verb
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At Hotel Lorenzo, managing partner Justin Burton said confusing detours and signage are creating frustration for visitors.—
Nicole Nielsen,
CBS News,
18 Feb. 2026
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But missing details on tax forms, such as on your W-2 from an employer, could be confusing when filing returns this year, experts say.—
Kate Dore, CFP®, EA,
CNBC,
17 Feb. 2026
Verb
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That’s perplexing to Alvarez and Oakley, given that Cal State tuition is still relatively low, despite recent annual tuition hikes.—
Cal Matters,
Mercury News,
28 Jan. 2026
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The disjunction between the abstract composition and the notion of self-portraiture appeared perplexing in its own right; its inoperability only exacerbated the viewer’s frustration and redoubled the artist’s impish provocation.—
Ara H. Merjian,
Artforum,
1 Jan. 2026
Verb
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The move revived memories of blatant tampering with inflation statistics by past populist governments, rattling investor confidence and public trust.—
Isabel Debre,
Fortune,
11 Feb. 2026
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In the latest violence rattling the fragile ceasefire, medics said two men were killed by Israeli forces in eastern Khan Younis, in an area adjacent to where the army operates.—
Nidal al-Mughrabi,
USA Today,
29 Jan. 2026
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Cite this Entry
“Addling.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/addling. Accessed 22 Feb. 2026.
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