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
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
Wheeler went first in the second round as the challenger, posting a reasonable 37.8 seconds, though the corner 3-pointer over the spinning wheel befuddled Wheeler all night.
—James Boyd, New York Times, 19 July 2025
Gonzalez quickly drove him in with an RBI triple, which befuddled center fielder Brenton Doyle.
—Gabrielle Starr, Boston Herald, 9 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for befuddle
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
Wheeler went first in the second round as the challenger, posting a reasonable 37.8 seconds, though the corner 3-pointer over the spinning wheel befuddled Wheeler all night.
—James Boyd, New York Times, 19 July 2025
Gonzalez quickly drove him in with an RBI triple, which befuddled center fielder Brenton Doyle.
—Gabrielle Starr, Boston Herald, 9 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for befuddle
Recent Examples of Synonyms for befuddle
Verb
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The designs were puckish and gender-bending, evoking both awe and repulsion—the sort of clothing that titillates lovers of conceptual fashion and bewilders the uninitiated.—
Ana Karina Zatarain,
New Yorker,
19 Sep. 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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Tutu Atwell’s role is perplexing Every fan base has some trademark bits.—
Nate Atkins,
New York Times,
1 Oct. 2025
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Taylor is accustomed to playing forceful characters who have perplexing emotions about motherhood, and in A Thousand and One, Taylor earned her stripes as a performer and acclaim.—
Essence,
Essence,
18 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Crotz was initially confused as to why Kjartan had closed himself inside.—
Jack Beresford,
MSNBC Newsweek,
3 Oct. 2025
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CarShield has received positive comments for its breadth of coverage and quick response times, although some policyholders have complained about claim denials, fine-print surprises and confusing sales practices.—
Brian Sloan,
CNBC,
3 Oct. 2025
Verb
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But the rhetoric has baffled Democrats, who see ER payments as effective and noncontroversial and are unwilling to disavow it.—
David Weigel,
semafor.com,
2 Oct. 2025
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Fans in the surrounding section can be heard in shock, baffled that the man gave away such a coveted possession.—
Skyler Caruso,
PEOPLE,
25 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Wenhardt stared at his pages, puzzled.—
Jane Bua,
New Yorker,
22 Sep. 2025
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Yet despite their popularity, pachycephalosaurs continue to puzzle paleontologists in part because fossils of these bipedal herbivores are rare, says Lindsay Zanno, a paleontologist at North Carolina State University.—
Jack Tamisiea,
Scientific American,
17 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Befuddle.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/befuddle. Accessed 6 Oct. 2025.
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