Definition of bafflednext
as in perplexed
faced with difficulty or uncertainty about what to say, think, or do baffled viewers didn't know what to make of the strange antics of the talk show host

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

baffled

2 of 2

verb

past tense of baffle
1
2

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of baffled
Adjective
The admission prompted baffled comments from a veteran federal judge. Syra Ortiz Blanes, Miami Herald, 27 May 2026 The Sooners’ uncanny postseason successes leave many baffled. Caroline Price, Forbes.com, 26 May 2026
Verb
Keith played conservative social climber Margo Leadbetter, who is baffled by her neighbor Tom's sustainability-centric lifestyle with wife Barbara Good (Felicity Kendal). Edward Segarra, USA Today, 29 June 2026 In the sixth inning, Jasson Domínguez battled Skubal for eight pitches, surviving against the stuff that baffled him earlier in the game. Cody Stavenhagen, New York Times, 25 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for baffled
Recent Examples of Synonyms for baffled
Adjective
  • Millie Bobby Brown says her American Stranger Things costars were very perplexed by her British meals.
    Emlyn Travis, Entertainment Weekly, 9 July 2026
  • There were few international visitors, an absence that has perplexed business owners who banked on hundreds of thousands of new faces to patronize their establishments.
    Katelyn Umholtz, Kansas City Star, 1 July 2026
Verb
  • Between the steady march of average US gasoline prices back above $4 per gallon and the rapid rise of power prices, American consumers have plenty to be frustrated by in their energy bills.
    Tim McDonnell, semafor.com, 21 July 2026
  • Early in her career, frustrated that internships at a film studio kept going to the children of executives and family friends, she was eventually handed eighteen months to fix the company’s hiring.
    Nell Derick Debevoise Dewey, Forbes.com, 21 July 2026
Verb
  • When casting director Nancy Nayor was young, her parents were puzzled by her entertainment choices.
    Jim Hemphill, IndieWire, 16 July 2026
  • First, Miguel is puzzled when Chuy and his parents, Rosalío (Fernando Cuautl) and Margarita (Leidi Gutiérrez), abruptly leave town without warning.
    Aramide Tinubu, Variety, 8 July 2026
Adjective
  • In a little corner of my mind, however, history will always mean the tragic smashing of individual lives by its cruel hands and the scattering of bewildered people reeling from its blows.
    Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 14 July 2026
  • Away from the bewildered rancher calling out in surprise, away from the Appaloosa.
    Emily Ruskovich, The Atlantic, 7 July 2026
Verb
  • But even use of that system is being hampered because state officials haven’t been trained in how to enter cyclosporiasis cases yet.
    Blake Ellis, CNN Money, 20 July 2026
  • The search was hampered by the fact that Horan’s gravestone, like many at Blake Street, had eroded to the point that it could no longer be identified.
    John Moritz, Hartford Courant, 20 July 2026
Verb
  • And this isn't even the first time the USC athletic department has gotten its ancient Greek literature confused.
    Amber Harding OutKick, FOXNews.com, 21 July 2026
  • The Blazers say a handshake agreement with Mayor Keith Wilson, the city and the county was made in March, and are confused why there has been a shift.
    Jason Quick, New York Times, 20 July 2026
Adjective
  • While the actor may have been embarrassed, Bernthal cheered and Evans crowned him the first guest to lose his lunch.
    Emily St. Martin, Los Angeles Times, 24 July 2026
  • Brown said this is typical, particularly with prepubescent boys, who can be embarrassed.
    Laura Trujillo, USA Today, 15 July 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Baffled.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/baffled. Accessed 1 Aug. 2026.

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