as in confusion
a state of mental uncertainty
his complete bafflement as to the point of the joke was in itself funny
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Recent Examples of bafflement
The result is an incredible repository of vexations, bafflements, witticisms, and brilliancies.
—
Becca Rothfeld,
New Yorker,
1 June 2026
Internally, the Bulls coaching staff has reached a point of bafflement with the forward.
—
Julia Poe,
Chicago Tribune,
26 Mar. 2026
But public criticism, questions and bafflement have surrounded the decision to set out from the huts at Frog Lake in the middle of the season’s fiercest storm.
—
Darrell Smith,
Sacbee.com,
19 Feb. 2026
Its inclusion on the album has long been a cause of bafflement among Bowie fans, not least as it was originally recorded for Hunky Dory.
—
Literary Hub,
15 Jan. 2026
The Ella McCay trend, originated by a Twitter user named Michael Roberts, began as a tribute born out of simultaneous admiration and bafflement.
—
Fran Hoepfner,
Vulture,
10 Dec. 2025
Just silence and forlorn stares of players stuck in a state of bafflement and disappointment.
—
Nicki Jhabvala,
New York Times,
8 Dec. 2025
In a new interview with GQ, the star expressed bafflement over Nicki Minaj‘s targeting her on social media — and sidestepped Kendrick Lamar‘s beef with Drake.
—
Brian Hiatt,
Rolling Stone,
6 Nov. 2025
There are black-and-white scenes from what appears to be a cracked Biblical drama featuring a levitating monk and, to the particular bafflement of the producer, a dancing Pulcinella.
—
Guy Lodge,
Variety,
5 Sep. 2025
Becca Rothfeld,
New Yorker,
1 June 2026
Internally, the Bulls coaching staff has reached a point of bafflement with the forward.
—
Julia Poe,
Chicago Tribune,
26 Mar. 2026
But public criticism, questions and bafflement have surrounded the decision to set out from the huts at Frog Lake in the middle of the season’s fiercest storm.
—
Darrell Smith,
Sacbee.com,
19 Feb. 2026
Its inclusion on the album has long been a cause of bafflement among Bowie fans, not least as it was originally recorded for Hunky Dory.
—
Literary Hub,
15 Jan. 2026
The Ella McCay trend, originated by a Twitter user named Michael Roberts, began as a tribute born out of simultaneous admiration and bafflement.
—
Fran Hoepfner,
Vulture,
10 Dec. 2025
Just silence and forlorn stares of players stuck in a state of bafflement and disappointment.
—
Nicki Jhabvala,
New York Times,
8 Dec. 2025
In a new interview with GQ, the star expressed bafflement over Nicki Minaj‘s targeting her on social media — and sidestepped Kendrick Lamar‘s beef with Drake.
—
Brian Hiatt,
Rolling Stone,
6 Nov. 2025
There are black-and-white scenes from what appears to be a cracked Biblical drama featuring a levitating monk and, to the particular bafflement of the producer, a dancing Pulcinella.
—
Guy Lodge,
Variety,
5 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for bafflement
Noun
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Washington Examiner columnist Guy Benson said former President Joe Biden’s moment of confusion at the Obama Presidential Center’s dedication ceremony doesn’t paint a good image for Democrats.
-
Some confusion remained Saturday as to the terms of the settlement with the state, how close the parties are to that settlement and how much of the city’s street art would be removed under that agreement.
Noun
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In other words, entire sections of coastline turned into shifting underwater fog banks.
-
Sunglasses can fog, slide down, collect sweat or slightly change how the ball looks.
Noun
-
Uncertainty across the region The news of peace came with a sense of bewilderment and uncertainty in a region that suffered collateral damage through months of war.
-
Many of these terms were meant as insults and were – and remain today – tremendously rude, but others reflect the bewilderment of trying to categorize people who don’t fit into standard categories easily.
Noun
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The first weeks were a roller coaster of pleasure and perplexity.
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Oklo exemplifies both the promise and the perplexity associated with the rebirth of nuclear power.
Cite this Entry
“Bafflement.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bafflement. Accessed 26 Jun. 2026.
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