Synonyms of bamboozle

bamboozle

verb

bam-ˈbü-zəl 

1

as in to deceive

to cause to believe what is untrue

bamboozled by con men into buying worthless land in the desert

Synonyms & Similar Words

• deceive
• trick
• fool
• mislead
• hoodwink
• delude
• misinform
• tease
• dupe
• beguile
• misguide
• kid
• sucker
• juggle
• bluff
• cozen
• hornswoggle
• hoax
• con
• humbug
• cheat
• gull
• suck in
• sting
• catch
• gaff
• spoof
• buffalo
• string along
• gammon
• snooker
• burn
• snow
• have on
• have
• take in
• fake out
• defraud
• lead one down the garden path
• pull one's leg
• do a number on
• swindle
• pull the wool over one's eyes
• shortchange
• put on
• stick
• fleece
• flimflam
• mulct
• diddle
• hustle
• bleed
• euchre
• squeeze
• chisel
• skin
• rook

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• undeceive
• reveal
• expose
• unmask
• uncover
• debunk
• tell
• show up
• disclose
• divulge
• unveil
• disabuse
• uncloak
• disillusion
• disenchant

2

as in to confuse

to throw into a state of mental uncertainty

I'm completely bamboozled by the latest changes in the tax code

Synonyms & Similar Words

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

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• assure
• satisfy
• inform
• reassure
• enlighten

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of bamboozle

Their cyber hacking uncovers more than just corrupt money and that propels them into bamboozling Heard’s model daughter (Jessica Reynolds, a standout in an impressive young cast). — Randy Myers, Mercury News, 13 May 2026

Frank concluded that many Kansans had been bamboozled by populist anti-elitism. — U T Editorial Board, San Diego Union-Tribune, 2 May 2026

And the performer isn’t a comedian, but Oz Pearlman, a mentalist who has made his fame bamboozling everyone from billionaires like Mark Cuban to podcasters like Joe Rogan with intricate mind games that defy explanation. — Aidan McLaughlin, Vanity Fair, 16 Apr. 2026

Way back in 2018, Gaines and Riley were running split-back formations and leaving opposing defenses bamboozled while playing for the 12-and-under Moreno Valley Falcons in the heart of Southern California. — Shaun Goodwin, Idaho Statesman, 27 Mar. 2026

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