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
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
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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Montreal opened the scoring when Dubois’ shot hit off of Elizabeth Giguere’s stick and tricked Rooney.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
12 May 2026
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Montreal opened the scoring when Dubois' shot hit off of Elizabeth Giguere's stick and tricked Rooney.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
12 May 2026
Verb
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They are baffled by filmmakers who do not think more aggressively about sustainability, ownership, and business models around their work.—
Dana Harris-Bridson,
IndieWire,
18 May 2026
-
Such an unconventional approach baffled plenty of people, including the show’s musical composer Marvin Hamlisch, who at the time was in high demand in the film industry and halfway to becoming an EGOT.—
Ross Raihala,
Twin Cities,
18 May 2026
Verb
-
He has been fooled into selling them out for less than a pack of gum.—
Scott Tobias,
Vulture,
24 May 2026
-
He should not be fooled by the sudden enthusiasm around the arrival of the young players who have emerged recently.—
Bill Madden,
New York Daily News,
23 May 2026
Verb
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The company is not to be confused with the music-publishing company of the same name, founded in 2017, the assets of which were recently acquired by Sony Music.—
Jem Aswad,
Variety,
18 May 2026
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Cassidy also complained that a new primary system enacted last year confused voters by requiring them to ask for a partisan ballot instead of the all-party primary previously in place.—
Thomas Beaumont,
Fortune,
17 May 2026
Verb
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But the postcard Hersh received appears to be part of a misinformation campaign targeting Democrats who might be deceived into voting for two candidates, a move that would spoil their ballot.—
Ben Paviour,
Sacbee.com,
19 May 2026
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The return of Prince in the 11th over earned Lukcnow wickets of Devdutt Padikkal, who got deceived by a slower ball, and struggling Jitesh Sharma, who top-edged a pull shot to Pant behind the wickets.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
7 May 2026
Verb
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Stephen Colbert is departing late night television as a ratings powerhouse, leaving industry observers puzzled by his exit despite his consistent viewership dominance.—
Toni Fitzgerald,
Forbes.com,
22 May 2026
-
The ways of the whites puzzled the Indians.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
20 May 2026
Verb
-
Gasly seems faintly bewildered by the designation.—
Maxwell Adler,
Vanity Fair,
27 Apr. 2026
-
Netizens were bewildered by the latest pivot, resulting in plenty of mockery on social media.—
Victor Tangermann,
Futurism,
16 Apr. 2026
Verb
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As a longtime rider I, too, am perplexed by regular displays of poor customer service by CTA employees.—
Chicago Tribune,
Chicago Tribune,
11 May 2026
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As Season 3 of Euphoria continues to stir up some controversy, one of the show’s stars is perplexed by Cassie’s (Sydney Sweeney) OnlyFans storyline.—
Glenn Garner,
Deadline,
24 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Bamboozled.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bamboozled. Accessed 25 May. 2026.
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