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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The scam reportedly tricked Russian drone operators into giving away the location of their Starlink terminals, allowing Ukrainian artillery and drones to target them.—
Simon Shuster,
The Atlantic,
27 Feb. 2026
-
The people staffing the scam centers might have been tricked by a false job ad.—
Susan Tompor,
USA Today,
24 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Kachel said Vank’s signature moment so far with the Plainsmen came in the regular season finale last season, when Vank baffled Western Nebraska Community College with eight innings of shutout ball, scattering three hits while racking up 10 strikeouts.—
Kyle Newman,
Denver Post,
2 Mar. 2026
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Despite reading Whitney’s letter at least twice, Henry — a narcissist — seems baffled that Whitney is not more contrite.—
Amanda Whiting,
Vulture,
23 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Don’t be fooled by the name; despite its slouchy appearance, this shoulder purse can fit a laptop, a notebook, a small makeup bag, and more.—
Caroline Hughes,
Travel + Leisure,
26 Feb. 2026
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Stallings hung the breaking ball and Bader wasn’t fooled.—
Justice delos Santos,
Mercury News,
26 Feb. 2026
Verb
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After Survivor 50 aired its premiere episode on Wednesday, fans were confused when no official podcast from Jeff Probst appeared in their feeds.—
Staff Author,
Entertainment Weekly,
28 Feb. 2026
-
Newer plates have a slash through zeros, which could cause them to be confused with the number eight.—
Chilekasi Adele,
CBS News,
26 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Women who could be trampled by men, conned, deceived.—
Shafiq Najib,
ABC News,
3 Mar. 2026
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In addition, the complaint alleges that Walmart deceived customers by falsely claiming that 100% of customer tips would go to drivers.—
Marley Malenfant,
Austin American Statesman,
27 Feb. 2026
Verb
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The poor rott just stood there with its tail tucked between its legs, puzzled.—
Andrew Norman Wilson,
Harpers Magazine,
24 Feb. 2026
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When reflecting on the details that struck her most about the home, Kayne points to the mix of materials—spruce panels in the bedroom, river rocks puzzled onto the bathroom counter, and walls of glass that invite the outdoors in.—
Nicole Kliest,
Vogue,
23 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Now, many millions of Americans are bewildered by events.—
David French,
Mercury News,
3 Mar. 2026
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Oswalt confesses being bewildered by Bamford at first.—
Lisa Kennedy,
Variety,
30 Jan. 2026
Verb
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These are the brutally real snapshots of a man well acquainted with—but still perplexed by—the powerful and destructive forces that lord over our lives.—
Dash Lewis,
Pitchfork,
4 Mar. 2026
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Hour said he was perplexed by his liberal friends expressing their condolences.—
Julian Roberts-Grmela,
New York Daily News,
2 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Bamboozled.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bamboozled. Accessed 9 Mar. 2026.
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