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
Relevance
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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Experts say such scam operations in Cambodia and elsewhere have cheated people around the world out of billions of dollars and tricked people from many countries to work in them under slave-like conditions.—
Sakchai Lalit,
Los Angeles Times,
3 Feb. 2026
-
Wiles barely could make the tight final left-hand turn that had tricked Monsen.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
30 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Even Proctor’s defense attorney seemed baffled by the district attorney’s office’s handling of the case.—
Richard Winton,
Los Angeles Times,
9 Feb. 2026
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This disconnect, despite all appearances of a serious campaign, has left many Democrats baffled.—
Brady Knox,
The Washington Examiner,
9 Feb. 2026
Verb
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While everyone could be more easily fooled now, don’t be the one remembered for delivering bad intel.—
Tribune Content Agency,
Baltimore Sun,
8 Feb. 2026
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Don’t be fooled by its petite, easy-to-carry silhouette, though, because the bag boasts plenty of space to stow your essentials and beyond.—
Kyra Surgent,
InStyle,
6 Feb. 2026
Verb
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The New England Patriots just couldn't muster much of an attack against a Seattle defense that appeared to have Drake Maye confused through much of the night, falling 29-13.—
Will Richmond,
The Providence Journal,
9 Feb. 2026
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The California Department of Public Health is urging people to avoid mushroom foraging altogether this year because death cap mushrooms are easily confused with safe, edible varieties.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
8 Feb. 2026
Verb
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And don’t be deceived by Saturday’s sunny skies as the high will be 32 with wind chills as low as 9 degrees.—
Amanda McCoy,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
30 Jan. 2026
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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
Verb
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Store employees were puzzled about any alleged involvement with El Primo.—
Tim Dunn,
Boston Herald,
6 Feb. 2026
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For decades, this has puzzled physicists and engineers alike.—
Tejasri Gururaj,
Interesting Engineering,
29 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Oswalt confesses being bewildered by Bamford at first.—
Lisa Kennedy,
Variety,
30 Jan. 2026
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No matter what the reasons, Belichick, his former Patriots players and NFL fans, are bewildered by the snub.—
Merlisa Lawrence Corbett,
Forbes.com,
29 Jan. 2026
Verb
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The moment became viral on social media, with some X users perplexed at the interview.—
Lea Veloso,
StyleCaster,
11 Feb. 2026
-
Gargantuan boulders, twisted spiky trees, and vibrant sunset colors form an arid landscape that has perplexed and inspired creative titans like Jim Morrison and Gram Parsons for years.—
Nicole Kliest,
Vogue,
14 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Bamboozled.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bamboozled. Accessed 15 Feb. 2026.
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