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
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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.
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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.
Verb
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The Illinois numbers, especially this year’s, are baffling experts.
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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.
Verb
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Speaking on Harvard Business School’s The Founder Mindset podcast, hosted by senior lecturer and serial entrepreneur Reza Satchu, the Shark Tank investor argued that anyone trying to balance a young company against the rest of their life is fooling themselves.
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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.
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.
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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.
Verb
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The thing is, a lot of people have a talent for deceiving the public.
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Park and weather officials alike emphasize to Grand Canyon visitors that hiking conditions can be deceiving.
Verb
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Why People Misunderstand This Intelligence The first mistake people make is confusing integrative intelligence with being broadly knowledgeable.
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Having said that, conversations might be confusing today.
Verb
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And the performances from South Korea at the World Cup so far have been puzzling, given the talent at manager Hong Myung-bo’s disposal.
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In 2015, scientists first described a tiny and puzzling species of hominin from an unusually rich cache of fossils found at a site known as Dinaledi Chamber within the cave system.
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).
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That none of this has ever been clear to Gisèle is perplexing even to her.
Cite this Entry
“Bamboozling.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bamboozling. Accessed 28 Jun. 2026.
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