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
If the book’s prismatic structure and subjective immediacy feel baffling to encounter, that is because bafflement is the point.
—
Alexandra Schwartz, New Yorker, 25 Aug. 2025
Alexandra Schwartz, New Yorker, 25 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for bafflement
Noun
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Indeed, there has been confusion over how many shots were fired when Finicum was killed and who fired them.—
Nicole Blanchard,
Idaho Statesman,
7 Sep. 2025
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But that means there’s even more opportunity for confusion.—
John Werner,
Forbes.com,
7 Sep. 2025
Noun
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Soon, the sun burned through the morning fog as more than 100 people gathered on the sandbar to welcome the paddlers at the end of their journey and offer prayer and song.—
Debra Utacia Krol,
USA Today,
2 Sep. 2025
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In extremely dense fog where visibility is near zero, the best course of action is to first turn on your hazard lights, then simply pull into a safe location such as a parking lot of a local business, and stop.—
KANSAS CITY STAR WEATHER BOT,
Kansas City Star,
29 Aug. 2025
Noun
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When that turned into mass annihilation, the most frequent Israeli excuse was the population’s state of shock, trauma, exhaustion and bewilderment, the sensation of being under threat from outsiders and in imminent danger.—
Uriel Kon
September 2,
Literary Hub,
2 Sep. 2025
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Plans were met with questions, reservations, rejection, bewilderment, violence, and, more recently, a yawn.—
Hussein Agha,
New Yorker,
22 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Bafflement.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bafflement. Accessed 9 Sep. 2025.
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