1
as in to frustrate
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 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
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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
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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Recent Examples of baffle
Yelena Moroz Alpert, Architectural Digest, 19 Mar. 2025
Unlike other vacuums, the V11 won’t annoy your ears; its acoustic baffles improve airflow and keep the noise down to a decent 70-decibel level.
—Ho Lin, Miami Herald, 3 Mar. 2025
Zach Pressnell, MSNBC Newsweek, 29 Aug. 2025
Being only five years old, the news was baffling to Sally.
—Hank Beckman, Chicago Tribune, 26 Aug. 2025
Christian Datoc, The Washington Examiner, 12 Sep. 2025
In the last few years, researchers have stumbled upon baffling signals from deep space, uncovered strange features hiding beneath our oceans, and found clues that hint at life’s secrets on other worlds.
—Kaif Shaikh, Interesting Engineering, 11 Sep. 2025
Kaif Shaikh, Interesting Engineering, 11 Sep. 2025
That’s baffling to me that it was even checked.
—Brendan Kuty, New York Times, 5 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for baffle
Verb
The 3-inch down topper has a 750-fill power which is distributed evenly with a three-dimensional baffle box stitching and encased in a cotton sateen shell.
—Yelena Moroz Alpert, Architectural Digest, 19 Mar. 2025
Unlike other vacuums, the V11 won’t annoy your ears; its acoustic baffles improve airflow and keep the noise down to a decent 70-decibel level.
—Ho Lin, Miami Herald, 3 Mar. 2025
Verb
Meanwhile, his defense has gone from a Gold Glove-winning asset to an utterly baffling liability.
—Zach Pressnell, MSNBC Newsweek, 29 Aug. 2025
Being only five years old, the news was baffling to Sally.
—Hank Beckman, Chicago Tribune, 26 Aug. 2025
Adjective
The result is a set of policies that has baffled some China experts, or at least raised questions about the president’s stance on America’s friendly rival.
—Christian Datoc, The Washington Examiner, 12 Sep. 2025
In the last few years, researchers have stumbled upon baffling signals from deep space, uncovered strange features hiding beneath our oceans, and found clues that hint at life’s secrets on other worlds.
—Kaif Shaikh, Interesting Engineering, 11 Sep. 2025
Noun
In the last few years, researchers have stumbled upon baffling signals from deep space, uncovered strange features hiding beneath our oceans, and found clues that hint at life’s secrets on other worlds.
—Kaif Shaikh, Interesting Engineering, 11 Sep. 2025
That’s baffling to me that it was even checked.
—Brendan Kuty, New York Times, 5 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for baffle
Recent Examples of Synonyms for baffle
Adjective
-
This is especially perplexing when supermassive black holes are seen in a time when the universe was less than 1 billion years old.—
Robert Lea,
Space.com,
15 Sep. 2025
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For nearly five decades, NASA's twin Voyager probes have plumbed the cosmos in search of answers to some of astronomy's most perplexing mysteries about our solar system and its place in the wider universe.—
Eric Lagatta,
USA Today,
8 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
The preseason play wasn’t encouraging, and Canales’ decision to rest the starters in the exhibition finale looks even more puzzling in hindsight, especially after the offensive group produced three three-and-outs and one touchdown drive.—
DIAMOND VENCES,
Charlotte Observer,
10 Sep. 2025
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One fact of the crime scene grabbed the most attention and remains to this day the most puzzling, tantalizing, and frightening aspect of the discovery of the body.—
Maureen Lee Lenker,
Entertainment Weekly,
10 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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It’s also plagued by confusing time jumps, clunky dialogue that tells rather than shows and plot complications that get too complicated, bordering on overkill.—
Dave Nemetz,
TVLine,
18 Sep. 2025
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To be that sad and sick with the most blessings/privilege/opportunity/love around me was quite possibly the most confusing thing ever.—
Anna Kaufman,
USA Today,
18 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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Tuesday will go down as one of Boston’s most confounding losses of the season, a 4-3 defeat in 11 innings to the Baltimore Orioles in which the club went 0 for 13 with runners in scoring position.—
Mac Cerullo,
Boston Herald,
22 Aug. 2025
Adjective
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Before last season, his latent talent was obvious, but a frustrating lack of consistency meant the 28-year-old was never — until now — even included in the 30-man shortlist for the award.—
Conor O'Neill,
New York Times,
15 Sep. 2025
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More frustrating still is when the shoe is on the other foot.—
Bruce Tulgan,
Forbes.com,
15 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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Over the course of a few hours in Washington on Tuesday, the increasingly muddled state of public health unfolded.—
Philip Elliott,
Time,
10 Sep. 2025
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This is an impossible task – partly due to Trump’s own muddled thinking – but most importantly, because Putin does not want peace.—
Nick Paton Walsh,
CNN Money,
8 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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By simulating Earth with a global climate model, and feeding it a bewildering variety of data, the team brought snapshots of these ancient planets to life in some 85 slices of geological, paleontological history.—
Peter Brannen,
Quanta Magazine,
15 Sep. 2025
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Her executive order granting indefinite authority to the president to occupy her city is especially bewildering.—
David Weigel,
semafor.com,
5 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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Eventually, his bosses ordered him to clean up his disorganized lab, start from scratch, get it together.—
P.E. Moskowitz
September 11,
Literary Hub,
11 Sep. 2025
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When pyramidal cells are too excitable, memory processing becomes noisy and disorganized.—
New Atlas,
New Atlas,
11 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Baffle.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/baffle. Accessed 21 Sep. 2025.
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