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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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
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in perplexing
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Dissimilar Words
as in thwarting
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Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Recent Examples of baffling
Kristina Karisch, The Hill, 22 July 2025
Elsewhere, Lex and his nephew Lenny (Jon Cryer) combine a strand of Superman’s hair with an explosion of every nuclear weapon to create Nuclear Man (Mark Pillow), a pro-wrestler-like villain who partakes in some of the weakest and most baffling comic-book action ever conceived.
—Rory Doherty, Vulture, 11 July 2025
Some of the show, frankly, is a bit baffling, including a weirdly surreal piece involving talking trees.
—Chris Jones, Chicago Tribune, 13 June 2025
Oh, and Iron Man, Robert Downey Jr., is playing Doctor Doom in a baffling mystery decision.
—Paul Tassi, Forbes.com, 17 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for baffling
Verb
Here’s the most baffling part of the Republican budget bill, Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.) writes in an op-ed for The Washington Post.
—Kristina Karisch, The Hill, 22 July 2025
Elsewhere, Lex and his nephew Lenny (Jon Cryer) combine a strand of Superman’s hair with an explosion of every nuclear weapon to create Nuclear Man (Mark Pillow), a pro-wrestler-like villain who partakes in some of the weakest and most baffling comic-book action ever conceived.
—Rory Doherty, Vulture, 11 July 2025
Some of the show, frankly, is a bit baffling, including a weirdly surreal piece involving talking trees.
—Chris Jones, Chicago Tribune, 13 June 2025
Oh, and Iron Man, Robert Downey Jr., is playing Doctor Doom in a baffling mystery decision.
—Paul Tassi, Forbes.com, 17 July 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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How the company hasn't bought AI start-up Anthropic is downright perplexing, to use the word of the day.—
Jim Cramer,
CNBC,
4 Aug. 2025
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To Boltzmann’s contemporaries, this was perplexing.—
Leila Sloman,
Wired News,
3 Aug. 2025
Noun
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Trump in recent weeks has expressed frustration with Russia as the war continues, and Friday's meeting could have key implication for peace talks as well as Russia-U.S. relations.—
Andrew Stanton,
MSNBC Newsweek,
15 Aug. 2025
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Trump's frustration with Putin appeared to be building as Moscow expanded its ground and long-range strike operations in recent months.—
David Brennan,
ABC News,
15 Aug. 2025
Noun
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Visa bans affecting nationals from 19 countries add another layer of complexity and deterrence.—
Scott White,
Forbes.com,
15 Aug. 2025
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What does work is jail time; deterrence is the key to a safe society and the cornerstone of every law.—
Chicago Tribune,
Chicago Tribune,
14 Aug. 2025
Adjective
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But the most frustrating point among them is the argument shared by several critics and a wider collection of the audience that the film doesn’t have a deeper meaning and is ultimately about nothing.—
Richard Newby,
HollywoodReporter,
12 Aug. 2025
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With airport handlers worldwide managing 26 million bags each year, few travel inconveniences are more frustrating than arriving without your luggage.—
Kristine Hansen,
Travel + Leisure,
11 Aug. 2025
Noun
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Yes, the Phils nabbed a checkmate closer (Jhoan Duran).—
Anthony Stitt,
Forbes.com,
1 Aug. 2025
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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
Adjective
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Hilarious Theories Go Viral The bewildering encounter quickly went viral, prompting fellow Redditors to offer their own humorous theories for the stranger's behavior.—
Maria Morava,
MSNBC Newsweek,
15 Aug. 2025
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According to the researchers, these bewildering clouds are likely the remnants of much larger structures that puffed out of the galaxy's center several million years ago.—
Brandon Specktor,
Space.com,
10 Aug. 2025
Adjective
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If your closet or the underneath of your bed is a disorganized mess of mismatched shoes, take this as your sign to get a shoe rack.—
Alicia Geigel,
Southern Living,
13 Aug. 2025
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Meanwhile, in the Gulf, a surface trough in the north-central Gulf is associated with a broad area of disorganized showers and thunderstorms.—
Gabe Hauari,
USA Today,
12 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Baffling.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/baffling. Accessed 19 Aug. 2025.
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