as in to bewilder
to throw into a state of mental uncertainty
most of the applicants were befuddled by the wording of one of the questions on the driving test
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Recent Examples of befuddle
And the offensive operation looked much smoother, as Payton meshed the Colts to death and befuddled their defense on a second-quarter touchdown in which tight end Adam Trautman split out wide.
—
Luca Evans, Denver Post, 15 Sep. 2025
Stainton Williams has been similarly befuddled by his interactions with Citizens.
—Mario Ariza, ProPublica, 15 Sep. 2025
Or just confused vibes, such as when one player befuddled another by doing his best Puddy from Seinfeld on a plane impersonation.
—Dalton Ross, EW.com, 25 Aug. 2025
The Padres were mostly befuddled by Giants starter Kai-Wei Teng for three innings last night.
—Kevin Acee, San Diego Union-Tribune, 20 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for befuddle
Luca Evans, Denver Post, 15 Sep. 2025
Stainton Williams has been similarly befuddled by his interactions with Citizens.
—Mario Ariza, ProPublica, 15 Sep. 2025
Or just confused vibes, such as when one player befuddled another by doing his best Puddy from Seinfeld on a plane impersonation.
—Dalton Ross, EW.com, 25 Aug. 2025
The Padres were mostly befuddled by Giants starter Kai-Wei Teng for three innings last night.
—Kevin Acee, San Diego Union-Tribune, 20 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for befuddle
Recent Examples of Synonyms for befuddle
Verb
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Nandi is experiencing severe insomnia, tremors and psychosis, and her quickly deteriorating condition bewilders the emergency room staff.—
Sandee LaMotte,
CNN Money,
21 Oct. 2025
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Gelles avoids lionizing Patagonia’s leader, describing Chouinard’s mercurial leadership style that often bewildered his staff at Patagonia.—
Maya Silver,
Outside,
20 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Country fans were perplexed as to why Johnson, revered for his commitment to traditional country, had gone mostly dark in the studio during that time.—
Joseph Hudak,
Rolling Stone,
29 Oct. 2025
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Lauren Freeman, his cousin, told Fox News Digital earlier this month that a reference to orthopedic hardware in his neck had perplexed the family.—
Michael Ruiz,
FOXNews.com,
29 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Her daughter was confused, and eventually asked Nasser for an explanation as to what had been said.—
Alyssa Goldberg,
USA Today,
30 Oct. 2025
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At her spring show, Marie-Adam Leenaerdt brought back the style, but her shiny spandex stocking version ensures no one confuses the look for child’s play.—
Laia Garcia-Furtado,
Vogue,
30 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Until finally, he is baffled by the very mystery of life, love, and death.—
Bilge Ebiri,
Vulture,
30 Oct. 2025
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One morning, members of the Fort Greely missile defense base spot an ICBM of unknown origin on a suborbital trajectory heading straight for Chicago, baffling the country’s top intelligence and defense teams who only have 18 minutes to respond before impact.—
Jake Kring-Schreifels,
Time,
27 Oct. 2025
Verb
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The panic around him, frankly, has been puzzling.—
Alec Lewis,
New York Times,
1 Nov. 2025
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While Tesla's Mad Max Mode isn't designed to be outright dangerous, its reintroduction following its original 2018 release is puzzling because of scrutiny on the brand's true semi-autonomous driving capabilities.—
Charles Singh,
USA Today,
30 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Befuddle.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/befuddle. Accessed 7 Nov. 2025.
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