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
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
Solving novel, complex problems will continue to befuddle AI, not only because there are many steps and unknowns, but also because AI lacks our spatial and emotional understanding of the world.
—Jennifer L. Steele, The Conversation, 15 Aug. 2025
Trump’s statements rejecting their relationship was befuddled last week by a Wall Street Journal article that unveiled an alleged correspondence between the two in 2003.
—Ashleigh Fields, The Hill, 23 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for befuddle
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
Solving novel, complex problems will continue to befuddle AI, not only because there are many steps and unknowns, but also because AI lacks our spatial and emotional understanding of the world.
—Jennifer L. Steele, The Conversation, 15 Aug. 2025
Trump’s statements rejecting their relationship was befuddled last week by a Wall Street Journal article that unveiled an alleged correspondence between the two in 2003.
—Ashleigh Fields, The Hill, 23 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for befuddle
Recent Examples of Synonyms for befuddle
Verb
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The sense of arbitrariness that had previously bewildered and frustrated me was drowned out by excitement and sheer aesthetic pleasure.—
Richard Brody,
New Yorker,
7 Oct. 2025
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Cody Meissner, a pediatric professor at Dartmouth's Geisel School of Medicine who has served on ACIP in the past—arguably the most qualified of Kennedy's new lineup—was bewildered at why the committee was rehashing the issue addressed years ago.—
Beth Mole,
ArsTechnica,
18 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Illston appeared frustrated and perplexed by the government's unwillingness to engage on the merits during the hearing.—
Andrea Hsu,
NPR,
15 Oct. 2025
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The 18 runs plundered off one over was the most Jasprit Bumrah had ever conceded in Tests, leaving the bowler perplexed as he was replaced.—
Sam Dalling,
New York Times,
7 Oct. 2025
Verb
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But too often, this instinct to chase conflict distorts reality and confuses the public.—
Nancy Gibbs,
Time,
17 Oct. 2025
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This view confuses structure with behavior.—
Dave Smith,
Fortune,
17 Oct. 2025
Verb
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But the immediacy around these conversations about the Titans are baffling to me.—
Nick Suss,
Nashville Tennessean,
13 Oct. 2025
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And suddenly, Glenn and the Jets headed to halftime without running a play in the nearly 40 seconds at their disposal, a move that baffled both their loyalists in New Jersey and the Broncos’ sideline across the pond.—
Luca Evans,
Denver Post,
12 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Elsewhere, gold has surged to all-time highs, notably breaking past $4,000 for the first time ever, a milestone that has puzzled investors who aren’t sure what to make of the move.—
Sarah Min,
CNBC,
10 Oct. 2025
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The mystery is less about who’s involved in the game afoot, as alert audiences piecing together context clues will be immediately aware of those nefarious parties upon their introductions, and is more about the puzzling lengths the filmmakers go to in planting contrived red herrings.—
Courtney Howard,
Variety,
9 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Befuddle.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/befuddle. Accessed 18 Oct. 2025.
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