1
as in tricked
to cause to believe what is untrue
bamboozled by con men into buying worthless land in the desert
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in baffled
to throw into a state of mental uncertainty
I'm completely bamboozled by the latest changes in the tax code
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of bamboozled
Lenders are more easily bamboozled by fake spreadsheets than by fake factories.
—
Liz Hoffman, semafor.com, 11 Nov. 2025
Liz Hoffman, semafor.com, 11 Nov. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for bamboozled
Verb
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Accountancy has seen several cheating scandals in recent years, with the Big Four firms hit with multimillion-dollar fines after staff tricked internal exams, but the sector is far from alone.—
Tom Chivers,
semafor.com,
29 Dec. 2025
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The initial scheme involved a nonprofit organization that tricked state and federal officials into paying them to serve food to thousands of hungry children but never provided the meals.—
Jonah Kaplan,
CBS News,
18 Dec. 2025
Verb
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One thing that baffled me a little were the flashbacks.—
Patrick Brzeski,
HollywoodReporter,
13 Jan. 2026
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The team behind the shock discovery (in more ways than one) is baffled by this beautiful arc of material, which defies expectations and current theories surrounding such stellar remains.—
Robert Lea,
Space.com,
12 Jan. 2026
Verb
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The first generation of Iranian revolutionaries—including octogenarians like Ayatollah Ali Khamenei—have long fooled themselves about their future.—
Robin Wright,
New Yorker,
13 Jan. 2026
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Don’t be fooled by their jaw-dropping price, the bottoms deliver an expensive look thanks to their dark wash and classic cut.—
Kyra Surgent,
InStyle,
11 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Sassounian, for his part, doesn’t think there’s any risk the two California Couriers would ever be confused with each other.—
Colin Lecher,
Los Angeles Times,
11 Jan. 2026
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Many of the event’s attendees were confused about — or ignorant of — what had occurred on the other side of the court house.—
Laura Tillman,
Hartford Courant,
9 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Challengers should give Marylanders the option to choose a new direction and remove the need to confront the painful reality that they were deceived.—
Torrey Snow,
Baltimore Sun,
14 Jan. 2026
-
Trump told people that Rupert deceived him.—
Gabriel Sherman,
Vanity Fair,
14 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Although puzzled, Aisha answered honestly.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
7 Jan. 2026
-
Like his wife, Moore was puzzled when their friend didn’t show up to eat dinner.—
Julian Roberts-Grmela,
New York Daily News,
5 Jan. 2026
Verb
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But unlike his Sophoclean namesake, Orestes is bewildered by this escalation and refuses.—
Rachel Vorona Cote,
The Atlantic,
5 Jan. 2026
-
In April, the president was among those bewildered by his fall.—
Ryan Morik,
FOXNews.com,
27 Nov. 2025
Verb
-
Anyone who abandoned this art would be at risk of experiencing even their own culture as a stranger would, perplexed by the symbols and signs swirling about them.—
Jason Blakely,
Harpers Magazine,
30 Dec. 2025
-
The play certainly perplexed NFL fans.—
Ryan Gaydos,
FOXNews.com,
9 Dec. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Bamboozled.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bamboozled. Accessed 16 Jan. 2026.
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