Synonyms of baffle

baffle 1 of 2

verb

ˈba-fəl 

1

as in to frustrate

to prevent from achieving a goal

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

• frustrate
• hamper
• thwart
• foil
• prevent
• balk
• stop
• hinder
• defeat
• impede
• discomfit
• overcome
• beat
• checkmate
• obstruct
• halt
• clog
• block
• inhibit
• preclude
• handicap
• interfere (with)
• bar
• obviate
• check
• encumber
• tie up
• arrest
• stall
• set back
• hold back
• avert
• offset
• nullify
• neutralize
• shackle
• forestall
• negate
• counteract
• short-circuit
• conquer
• hobble
• trammel
• fetter
• manacle

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• encourage
• forward
• promote
• assist
• further
• foster
• aid
• advance
• cultivate
• facilitate
• nurture
• ease
• abet
• smooth

2

as in to perplex

to throw into a state of mental uncertainty

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

• perplex
• bewilder
• confuse
• puzzle
• befuddle
• mystify
• embarrass
• confound
• bemuse
• rattle
• flummox
• discombobulate
• vex
• stun
• disorient
• muddle
• disturb
• bother
• maze
• bamboozle
• fluster
• pose
• fuddle
• gravel
• addle
• upset
• befog
• fox
• muddy
• buffalo
• get
• unsettle
• beat
• blow one's mind
• stick
• disconcert
• stump
• agitate
• discomfit
• faze
• go to one's head
• nonplus
• deceive
• distress
• mislead
• mortify
• abash
• perturb
• trick
• discomfort
• unhinge
• fool
• delude
• weird out
• disquiet
• dismay
• discountenance
• beguile
• discompose
• chagrin
• hoodwink
• misguide
• humbug
• hoax
• gull
• snow
• dupe
• take in
• cozen
• string along

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• assure
• satisfy
• inform
• reassure
• enlighten

baffle

2 of 2

noun

as in fender

Related Words

• fender
• cushion
• bumper
• buffer
• shield
• muffler
• cocoon
• pad
• cushioning
• padding
• safeguard
• barricade
• cordon

Synonym Chooser

How does the verb baffle differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of baffle are balk, foil, frustrate, and thwart. While all these words mean "to check or defeat another's plan or block achievement of a goal," baffle implies frustration by confusing or puzzling.

baffled by the maze of rules and regulations

When would balk be a good substitute for baffle?

While in some cases nearly identical to baffle, balk suggests the interposing of obstacles or hindrances.

officials felt that legal restrictions had balked their efforts to control crime

When can foil be used instead of baffle?

Although the words foil and baffle have much in common, foil implies checking or defeating so as to discourage further effort.

foiled by her parents, he stopped trying to see her

Where would frustrate be a reasonable alternative to baffle?

The synonyms frustrate and baffle are sometimes interchangeable, but frustrate implies making vain or ineffectual all efforts however vigorous or persistent.

frustrated attempts at government reform

When is thwart a more appropriate choice than baffle?

The words thwart and baffle are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, thwart suggests frustration or checking by crossing or opposing.

the army thwarted his attempt at a coup

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of baffle

Verb

One morning, members of the Fort Greely missile defense base spot an ICBM of unknown origin on a suborbital trajectory heading straight for Chicago, baffling the country’s top intelligence and defense teams who only have 18 minutes to respond before impact. —Jake Kring-Schreifels, Time, 27 Oct. 2025

But there were strengths here, too, none more than England’s impervious Lazarus complex, that baffling inability to know when one is in a state of emergency. —Megan Feringa, New York Times, 26 Oct. 2025

Noun

The best way to achieve this is by attaching your feeder to a pole with a baffle. —Simon Hill, Wired News, 11 July 2025

There was debris on a plastic baffle plate inside the ice machine. —Camila Pedrosa, Sacramento Bee, 21 Mar. 2025