1
as in frustrating
to prevent from achieving a goal
the language barrier baffled everyone and discouraged us from attempting another teleconference
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in perplexing
Related Words
Dissimilar Words
as in thwarting
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Dissimilar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of baffling
Literary Hub
july 1, Literary Hub, 1 July 2025
It’s billed as a sequel to Super Mario World, but like Super Mario Bros. 2 before it, Yoshi’s Island is a baffling departure.
—Luke Winkie, Vulture, 18 June 2025
Still, for many of the players who were dominant during tennis’ defining era, today’s shrunken audiences are somewhat baffling, given the athleticism on display and the dizzying velocity of the aggro-baseliner game.
—Anthony Crupi, Sportico.com, 27 June 2025
Rejecting 2010’s Inception when Nolan was coming off his blockbuster masterpiece The Dark Knight, however, seems like a more baffling move.
—James Hibberd, HollywoodReporter, 16 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for baffling
Verb
Previous narrative histories like Barbara Tuchman’s The Proud Tower have illustrated that the close of the 19th century was chock full of odd, memorable, baffling characters, which might provide some relief in a historical telling of the U.S.’s first brutal forays into empire-building.
—Literary Hub
july 1, Literary Hub, 1 July 2025
It’s billed as a sequel to Super Mario World, but like Super Mario Bros. 2 before it, Yoshi’s Island is a baffling departure.
—Luke Winkie, Vulture, 18 June 2025
Still, for many of the players who were dominant during tennis’ defining era, today’s shrunken audiences are somewhat baffling, given the athleticism on display and the dizzying velocity of the aggro-baseliner game.
—Anthony Crupi, Sportico.com, 27 June 2025
Rejecting 2010’s Inception when Nolan was coming off his blockbuster masterpiece The Dark Knight, however, seems like a more baffling move.
—James Hibberd, HollywoodReporter, 16 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for baffling
Recent Examples of Synonyms for baffling
Verb
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Researchers are particularly focused on unraveling the puzzling interplay between gas content, magma pressure and lava flow dynamics.—
Dan Perry,
Newsweek,
3 Jan. 2025
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Almost two years into his ordeal, Gould learned of an initiative at the National Institutes of Health that focuses on solving the country’s most puzzling medical cases.—
Jason Liebowitz,
The Atlantic,
2 Jan. 2025
Adjective
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At least there’s still perplexing songs to listen to.—
Kieran Press-Reynolds,
Pitchfork,
23 July 2025
-
The accusations of bad faith are not only perplexing but inaccurate.—
The Daily News,
New York Daily News,
16 July 2025
Noun
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Other operators have expressed similar frustration, and some members of Congress have signaled support for an overhaul.—
ArsTechnica,
ArsTechnica,
22 July 2025
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The rise of ghost jobs has been causing real frustration for job seekers.—
Kara Dennison,
Forbes.com,
22 July 2025
Noun
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With Iran's military battered from an intense 12-day war with Israel that also involved direct U.S. intervention, China is emerging as top candidate to provide advanced weaponry that could help Tehran reestablish deterrence as tensions continue to simmer across the Middle East.—
Tom O'Connor,
MSNBC Newsweek,
19 July 2025
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In a world of weaker nuclear deterrence, governments must take deliberate steps to de-escalate tensions.—
Carter Malkasian,
Foreign Affairs,
17 July 2025
Adjective
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That said, diving into AI without a plan can be frustrating.—
Janet Lam,
Forbes.com,
21 July 2025
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The delays were frustrating, made more complicated by hospitalizations and evaluations that didn’t always address the root of what Avery was experiencing.—
Ashley Vega,
People.com,
21 July 2025
Noun
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In that case, however, Anand managed to secure a checkmate after 29 days of play.—
Andrew Paul,
Popular Science,
21 May 2025
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In the second, Eze again ceded the advantage, but ruthlessly capitalised on a costly blunder with a rapid-fire checkmate to seal the win and the tournament.—
Conor O'Neill,
New York Times,
10 May 2025
Adjective
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Amazon With a bewildering array of colorful smart lighting for any occasion, Govee is an affordable alternative to brands like Philips Hue.—
Simon Hill,
Wired News,
11 July 2025
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The number of color swatches and leather/fabric samples is bewildering.—
Tim Pitt,
Robb Report,
9 July 2025
Adjective
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The National Hurricane Center is watching some disorganized showers and thunderstorms east of the Caribbean that have slight odds of forming into a tropical cyclone, a July 19 outlook says.—
Eduardo Cuevas,
USA Today,
19 July 2025
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Despite its disorganized structure, the system remains a serious flood threat in a summer already marked by deadly deluges.—
Amanda Castro,
MSNBC Newsweek,
17 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Baffling.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/baffling. Accessed 29 Jul. 2025.
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