Synonyms of baffled

baffled 1 of 2

adjective

ˈba-fəld 

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

• perplexed
• bewildered
• embarrassed
• nonplussed
• confused
• flustered
• at a loss
• put to it
• confounded
• hard put
• hard-pressed
• disconcerted
• fazed
• put out

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• undaunted
• composed
• unfazed
• untroubled

baffled

2 of 2

verb

past tense of baffle

1

as in frustrated

to prevent from achieving a goal

the language barrier baffled everyone and discouraged us from attempting another teleconference

Synonyms & Similar Words

• frustrated
• hampered
• thwarted
• balked
• stopped
• defeated
• discomfited
• foiled
• hindered
• prevented
• impeded
• halted
• overcame
• checkmated
• beat
• handicapped
• blocked
• obstructed
• arrested
• inhibited
• checked
• stalled
• clogged
• hobbled
• tied up
• barred
• held back
• interfered (with)
• encumbered
• shackled
• precluded
• set back
• averted
• conquered
• nullified
• neutralized
• obviated
• forestalled
• fettered
• negated
• offset
• short-circuited
• manacled
• counteracted
• trammeled

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• encouraged
• advanced
• promoted
• forwarded
• cultivated
• assisted
• fostered
• aided
• nurtured
• furthered
• facilitated
• smoothed
• abetted
• eased

2

as in puzzled

to throw into a state of mental uncertainty

she was baffled by the wording of the clause in the insurance policy

Synonyms & Similar Words

• puzzled
• perplexed
• bewildered
• confused
• mystified
• stunned
• embarrassed
• flummoxed
• befuddled
• bemused
• vexed
• confounded
• rattled
• disturbed
• flustered
• disoriented
• bothered
• bamboozled
• discombobulated
• posed
• upset
• muddled
• fuddled
• mazed
• addled
• foxed
• buffaloed
• muddied
• got
• befogged
• graveled
• unsettled
• stumped
• beat
• nonplussed
• disconcerted
• stuck
• mortified
• blew one's mind
• dismayed
• discomfited
• agitated
• went to one's head
• distressed
• abashed
• fazed
• perturbed
• disquieted
• weirded out
• chagrined
• deceived
• discomforted
• misled
• discountenanced
• unhinged
• fooled
• deluded
• duped
• tricked
• discomposed
• misguided
• beguiled
• hoodwinked
• humbugged
• strung along
• gulled
• snowed
• hoaxed
• cozened
• took in

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• satisfied
• assured
• informed
• reassured
• enlightened

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of baffled

Adjective

What baffled Russell was the difference in straight-line speed. — Madeline Coleman, New York Times, 21 July 2026

The cat’s baffled loss takes center stage while the human mourner remains on the sidelines. — Literary Hub, 16 July 2026

Verb

Kushner’s methods and negotiating tactics have baffled foreign-policy experts—and his diplomacy appears inseparable from his private business pursuits around the world. — David Remnick, New Yorker, 14 Sep. 2026

In fact, sports fans in general were baffled that Dončić would be teaming up with LeBron James out west, while the Mavericks traded away their franchise cornerstone. — Scott Thompson Outkick, FOXNews.com, 11 Sep. 2026