baffling 1 of 3

adjective

Definition of bafflingnext
as in perplexing

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baffling

2 of 3

noun

as in thwarting

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baffling

3 of 3

verb

present participle of baffle
1
as in frustrating
to prevent from achieving a goal the language barrier baffled everyone and discouraged us from attempting another teleconference

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2
as in puzzling
to throw into a state of mental uncertainty she was baffled by the wording of the clause in the insurance policy

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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of baffling
Adjective
Ancelotti made the baffling choice to sideline the Real Madrid player for a penalty kick in the first half. — Doha Madani, NBC news, 5 July 2026 Vic makes some baffling choices here, buzzing in twice on the first word in the series without hearing the rest, and getting eliminated from multiple rounds five seconds in. — Tasha Robinson, Vulture, 30 June 2026
Noun
Those who knew me found this baffling. — ArsTechnica, 25 May 2026 That said, the good outweighs the baffling. — Fran Ruiz, Space.com, 29 Oct. 2025
Verb
The slow starts are baffling to Becht. — Chris Hays, The Orlando Sentinel, 4 May 2026 As the castle’s internal order collapses under the weight of a string of baffling crimes, Araki strikes a fragile alliance with Kuroda Kanbei – a razor-minded captive languishing in his own dungeon – in a race to root out a traitor before Oda’s army closes in. — Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 14 Apr. 2026 See All Example Sentences for baffling
Recent Examples of Synonyms for baffling
  1. perplexing
  2. thwarting
  3. frustrating
  4. puzzling
  5. confusing
  6. frustration
  7. hampering
  8. bewildering
Adjective
  • For some, evoking death and sacrifice was perplexing and distasteful; a step too far.
    — Harry Booth, Time, 17 July 2026
  • His off-court activity in the final days before he was shipped to Milwaukee included a classy and thoughtful farewell message on Monday but also included perplexing behavior that triggered a social media backlash days earlier.
    — Barry Jackson, Miami Herald, 7 July 2026
Definition of perplexing
Noun
  • The attack’s thwarting was an undeniable success.
    — Shane Harris, The Atlantic, 27 Apr. 2026
  • The thwarting of the Charlotte Hornets, one of the NBA’s fastest squads, is the quintessential White play.
    — Fred Katz, New York Times, 8 Apr. 2026
Definition of thwarting
Verb
  • But Algo’s hyper-logical, computerised process of consistently picking the favourites to win was undone in the second match of the day, with Ghana frustrating England in a 0-0 draw.
    — The Athletic Soccer Experts, New York Times, 24 June 2026
  • The documentary’s contradiction is right there, enthralling us with the wild achievements Potter pulled off and frustrating us with his bombast, leading us to ponder whether, as The Dark Wizard suggests, either could exist without the other.
    — Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 7 May 2026
Definition of frustrating
Verb
  • Plus, the powerful cosmic titans get really puzzling when astronomers using the JWST spot them before the universe was even 1 billion years old.
    — Robert Lea, Space.com, 19 July 2026
  • The uncertainty over Man on Fire is somewhat puzzling given its performance.
    — Nellie Andreeva, Deadline, 17 July 2026
Definition of puzzling
Adjective
  • While differences in election laws can get confusing, election security experts say this structure is a strength.
    — Ali Swenson, Chicago Tribune, 18 July 2026
  • The new protocols for the best international film category, née best foreign language film, are the latest rejiggering in what has historically been one of the more contentious and confusing Oscar categories.
    — Thomas Doherty, HollywoodReporter, 18 July 2026
Definition of confusing
Noun
  • That is why there has been such a deluge of anger and frustration from the public, even more than from the tournament exits under Southgate.
    — Jack Pitt-Brooke, New York Times, 19 July 2026
  • In a Thursday episode of The Ben Shapiro Show, Shapiro hit Vance particularly over his comments on the latter topic and his views on Americans’ frustration with the country’s economic system over the past few decades.
    — Molly Parks, The Washington Examiner, 17 July 2026
Definition of frustration
Verb
  • American regulators’ and politicians’ fear of Chinese tech is hampering business prospects for Chinese flying camera company HOVERAir, its CEO told Semafor.
    — J.D. Capelouto, semafor.com, 14 July 2026
  • Because the injection must then be sent (or pushed) to each specific target, the scale of the attack is limited, hampering mass exploits that hit the Internet at large.
    — Dan Goodin, ArsTechnica, 8 July 2026
Definition of hampering
Verb
  • But these casting decisions are bewildering, to say the least, and will certainly cost the film ticket sales and potential revenue.
    — Ian Miller OutKick, FOXNews.com, 6 July 2026
  • Similarly, the defensively bewildering 9-6 loss the Wild suffered to start Round 2 in Colorado set the tone for five games that would ultimately be their undoing.
    — Jess Myers, Twin Cities, 3 June 2026
Definition of bewildering

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Cite this Entry

“Baffling.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/baffling. Accessed 24 Jul. 2026.

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Nglish: Translation of baffling for Spanish Speakers

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