1
as in tricking
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 baffling
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 bamboozling
Their cyber hacking uncovers more than just corrupt money and that propels them into bamboozling Heard’s model daughter (Jessica Reynolds, a standout in an impressive young cast).
—
Randy Myers, Mercury News, 13 May 2026
And the performer isn’t a comedian, but Oz Pearlman, a mentalist who has made his fame bamboozling everyone from billionaires like Mark Cuban to podcasters like Joe Rogan with intricate mind games that defy explanation.
—Aidan McLaughlin, Vanity Fair, 16 Apr. 2026
And now, a class action has been filed against Spotify for allegedly bamboozling consumers.
—Winston Cho, HollywoodReporter, 5 Nov. 2025
Randy Myers, Mercury News, 13 May 2026
And the performer isn’t a comedian, but Oz Pearlman, a mentalist who has made his fame bamboozling everyone from billionaires like Mark Cuban to podcasters like Joe Rogan with intricate mind games that defy explanation.
—Aidan McLaughlin, Vanity Fair, 16 Apr. 2026
And now, a class action has been filed against Spotify for allegedly bamboozling consumers.
—Winston Cho, HollywoodReporter, 5 Nov. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for bamboozling
Verb
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The schemes involve a predator pretending to be a teenager online and tricking victims into sending illicit photos of themselves.—
Sarah N. Lynch,
CBS News,
17 June 2026
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Such techniques typically work by tricking the user into approving a request to approve a device owned by the attacker instead.—
ArsTechnica,
ArsTechnica,
3 June 2026
Verb
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For more than four minutes Darnold drove downfield, connecting on three of four passes, baffling the pass rushers, bleeding the clock, and by the time the Seahawks finally gave the ball back, the Rams had only 25 seconds to live.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
1 June 2026
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Though some of the recent playoff defeats have been baffling and call for self-evaluation within the organization, the culture has been a huge net positive overall.—
Jay King,
New York Times,
1 June 2026
Verb
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The other is fooling humans, particularly the dwindling number of journalists, critics, and other gatekeepers who are still capable of conferring legitimacy by paying attention.—
Lane Brown,
Vulture,
15 May 2026
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After killing Minnesota’s first power play, the Avalanche opened the scoring when defenseman Sam Malinski scored his first career playoff goal, fooling Wallstedt with a rising wrist shot.—
Jess Myers,
Twin Cities,
4 May 2026
Verb
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Similarly, the defensively bewildering 9-6 loss the Wild suffered to start Round 2 in Colorado set the tone for five games that would ultimately be their undoing.—
Jess Myers,
Twin Cities,
3 June 2026
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But even more than engaging the big ideas that Emma’s revelation triggers — pun somewhat intended — Lee and Borli wanted to craft an experience that would mimic its main characters’ bewildering interiority.—
Sarah Shachat,
IndieWire,
6 Apr. 2026
Verb
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But O’Malley writes that this is deceiving.—
Livia Gershon,
JSTOR Daily,
9 June 2026
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He was also accused of deceiving escrow agents to secure the release of pre-construction condo deposits and then misappropriated those funds for personal expenses unrelated to the developments.—
Jay Weaver
June 6,
Miami Herald,
6 June 2026
Verb
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The most common mistake is confusing more communication with a better signal.—
Gerald J. Leonard,
Forbes.com,
19 June 2026
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The Atlanta Journal-Constitution’s investigation of the alternative medicine industry uncovered a pattern of practitioners across Georgia pushing legal limits on what they’re allowed to do and presenting confusing information about their credentials.—
Carrie Teegardin,
AJC.com,
17 June 2026
Verb
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The 24 hours between Sunday and Monday made an already puzzling situation even more head spinning.—
Daniel DePetris,
Chicago Tribune,
9 June 2026
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Police are investigating after puzzling footage posted online shows a group of men emerging from a manhole in Brooklyn early Friday morning.—
Thomas Tracy,
New York Daily News,
29 May 2026
Verb
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But there were also perplexing moments that punctured the gravitas of the event (even for an event built around hand-to-hand combat).—
Alex Weprin,
HollywoodReporter,
15 June 2026
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That none of this has ever been clear to Gisèle is perplexing even to her.—
Sophie Gilbert,
The Atlantic,
20 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Bamboozling.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bamboozling. Accessed 22 Jun. 2026.
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