Synonyms of bafflement

bafflement

noun

as in confusion

a state of mental uncertainty

his complete bafflement as to the point of the joke was in itself funny

Synonyms & Similar Words

• confusion
• fog
• bewilderment
• perplexity
• tangle
• bemusement
• puzzlement
• befuddlement
• mystification
• discomfort
• dismay
• discombobulation
• embarrassment
• head-scratching
• bamboozlement
• distress
• maze
• confusedness
• distraction
• bewilderedness
• mortification
• discomfiture
• muddle
• chagrin
• whirl
• agitation
• upset
• commotion
• disquiet
• perturbation
• abashment
• turmoil
• disturbance
• flurry
• disconcertment
• fuss
• fluster
• dither
• bother
• stew

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• confidence
• conviction
• certainty
• assurance
• certitude
• sureness
• positiveness

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of bafflement

But those willing to pay can suffer betrayals and bafflements of their own. — David Frum, The Atlantic, 24 July 2026

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