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
When Zverev first became a force on the ATP Tour, his combination of a huge first serve and the ability to play like a human backboard bamboozled even the Big Three.
—
Charlie Eccleshare,
New York Times,
2 June 2026
Frank concluded that many Kansans had been bamboozled by populist anti-elitism.
—
U T Editorial Board,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
2 May 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
Lenders are more easily bamboozled by fake spreadsheets than by fake factories.
—
Liz Hoffman,
semafor.com,
11 Nov. 2025
Charlie Eccleshare,
New York Times,
2 June 2026
Frank concluded that many Kansans had been bamboozled by populist anti-elitism.
—
U T Editorial Board,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
2 May 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
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
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While the war ended years before, the hostility spread from the stands — with skirmishes among supporters — into the field, when Maradona tricked the referee and the world with the World Cup’s most infamous goal, punching the ball into the net with his fist above England’s goalie Peter Shilton.
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The sample that tricked the most people came from a robot Bram Stoker.
Verb
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His mother, Ahmani Hicks, describes him as a kid who loved sports, and she's baffled as to why her son was targeted.
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Known as the Galactic Center Excess, a spherical gamma-ray glow extending out for thousands of light-years from the core of our galaxy, this high-energy light has baffled researchers for over a decade.
Verb
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Don’t be fooled; this isn’t your typical museum.
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Don’t be fooled by its breezy ’60s-analog vintage pop sound.
Verb
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It's called cognitive empathy, not to be confused with emotional empathy.
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So The Listeners — not to be confused with 2022’s The Listener starring Tessa Thompson and you in a voice role — is just now reaching the States.
Verb
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Some people in Israel say Netanyahu, in a way, deceived Trump.
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One is to emphasize Iago—the guileful, insinuating convincingness of this malicious supervillain, who works on Othello to the point where any reasonable man would be deceived and fooled and worked into a rage that can lead to such a catastrophe.
Verb
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County officials said they are puzzled by the cost increase in the face of falling ridership for Access Lynx, which provides door-to-door transportation for disabled and low-income riders countywide.
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But after feeding the information into a computer model, the team was puzzled.
Verb
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Former Republican state senator Jeff Brandes, who now leads the Florida Policy Project, said he was bewildered by the governor's proposal.
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Gasly seems faintly bewildered by the designation.
Verb
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Aryna Sabalenka being asked to dance after defeating Naomi Osaka in the French Open has one former American tennis star perplexed.
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Democrats have been particularly perplexed given the state's top-two primary system, which places all candidates on a single ballot regardless of party.
Cite this Entry
“Bamboozled.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bamboozled. Accessed 26 Jun. 2026.
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