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
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
Lenders are more easily bamboozled by fake spreadsheets than by fake factories.
—Liz Hoffman, semafor.com, 11 Nov. 2025
Shaun Goodwin, Idaho Statesman, 27 Mar. 2026
Lenders are more easily bamboozled by fake spreadsheets than by fake factories.
—Liz Hoffman, semafor.com, 11 Nov. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for bamboozled
Verb
-
Not long before Brettler's death, Sharma had learned the kid had tricked him.—
Frank Langfitt,
NPR,
4 Apr. 2026
-
Read how North Korean hackers tricked Ben and got into his computer.—
Alexei Oreskovic,
Fortune,
3 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Perry says that the label wanted to call the record 4 Non Blondes, which baffled her.—
Brenna Ehrlich,
Rolling Stone,
21 Apr. 2026
-
The Brotherly Bultema Battery of junior pitcher Maddux and sophomore catcher Nolan had the South Lake hitters baffled.—
Chris Hays,
The Orlando Sentinel,
18 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Don’t be fooled by Morejón’s unsightly ERA.—
Tom Krasovic,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
17 Apr. 2026
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In person, the author Freida McFadden (her nom de plume) has a sweet, shy demeanor—but don’t be fooled.—
E.L. James,
Time,
15 Apr. 2026
Verb
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The Rockets were confused, Durant being a late scratch and their attack being lost without him, Reed Sheppard and Amen Thompson combining for 38 shots and a bunch of misses.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
19 Apr. 2026
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Several residents say they were left scared and confused as strong winds and heavy rain moved through the area.—
Hannah McIlree,
CBS News,
17 Apr. 2026
Verb
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The firm says it was deceived again in June 2022, when IQHQ restructured and moved investor interests into a Delaware limited partnership structure.—
Jennifer Van Grove,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
8 Apr. 2026
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Klipsch Austin Portable Bluetooth Speaker Deal Don't be deceived by the small Klipsch Austin portable speaker.—
George Yang,
PC Magazine,
24 Mar. 2026
Verb
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His award recognizes his contributions to settle several questions in differential geometry that had puzzled mathematicians since the 1970s and 1980s.—
Chase Hunter,
Mercury News,
19 Apr. 2026
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The diminutive scale of Giacometti’s proposal—a nondescript bust atop a small square base—puzzled his colleagues.—
Ara H. Merjian,
ARTnews.com,
16 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Netizens were bewildered by the latest pivot, resulting in plenty of mockery on social media.—
Victor Tangermann,
Futurism,
16 Apr. 2026
-
Now, many millions of Americans are bewildered by events.—
David French,
Mercury News,
3 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Baer appeared perplexed by this coy pretense of innocence.—
Patrick Radden Keefe,
New Yorker,
13 Apr. 2026
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Stocks’ march higher in the face of deepening geopolitical uncertainty is leaving some on Wall Street increasingly perplexed.—
Yun Li,
CNBC,
13 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Bamboozled.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bamboozled. Accessed 22 Apr. 2026.
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