as in bewildered
suffering from mental confusion
the perennially befuddled professor was always forgetting where she'd left her glasses
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in baffled
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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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of befuddled
Idrees Kahloon, The Atlantic, 8 Feb. 2026
Audiences felt the same way — moved, if befuddled — during her 2013 Golden Globes speech.
—Daniel D'addario, Variety, 7 Jan. 2026
Luca Evans, Denver Post, 15 Sep. 2025
Stainton Williams has been similarly befuddled by his interactions with Citizens.
—Mario Ariza, ProPublica, 15 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for befuddled
Adjective
Though voters gave Labour a large parliamentary majority in 2024, Starmer has seemed befuddled about how to wield it.
—Idrees Kahloon, The Atlantic, 8 Feb. 2026
Audiences felt the same way — moved, if befuddled — during her 2013 Golden Globes speech.
—Daniel D'addario, Variety, 7 Jan. 2026
Verb
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
See All Example Sentences for befuddled
Recent Examples of Synonyms for befuddled
Adjective
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There was no punchline, no twist — just the straightforward, slightly bewildered observation that someone, somewhere, had performed surgery on a grape.—
Samantha Agate,
Miami Herald,
26 Mar. 2026
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Exasperated, bewildered, and realizing other musicians were also dealing with this, Bender came up with a way to show just how porous the system was.—
Jon Blistein,
Rolling Stone,
25 Mar. 2026
Verb
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No one, not even Jason — who is baffled at the galley’s sudden collapse — is more surprised at Ellie’s outburst than Ben.—
Rafaela Bassili,
Vulture,
31 Mar. 2026
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On Sunday, Roan responded on Instagram, seemingly baffled by the swirling controversy.—
Emily St. Martin,
Los Angeles Times,
26 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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The boyfriend is dead and Betty helps Laura, relatively unharmed but dazed, back to her house.—
Robert Abele,
Los Angeles Times,
19 Mar. 2026
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When Sneaky Snook in his mail truck happened upon the wreckage near the boundary of Meredith Downs, sheep were scattered along the roadside and the fence, bleating, dazed.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
5 Mar. 2026
Verb
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The remains of these unknown creatures often puzzled their discoverers.—
Big Think,
Big Think,
25 Mar. 2026
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This has puzzled researchers because lithium metal is soft, while the ceramic electrolytes used in these batteries are rigid.—
Jijo Malayil,
Interesting Engineering,
25 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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When the director approached Hanks directly, the actor was confused.—
Samantha Agate,
Miami Herald,
28 Mar. 2026
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After catching confused glances all through Venice, traversing neighborhoods and winding along Abbott Kinney, the group landed at the home of Matt Ricotta.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
25 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Their presence prompted nervousness among beachgoers and surfers sharing the water, but marveled researchers who were perplexed by the abnormally longer stay close to shore.—
Laylan Connelly,
Oc Register,
27 Mar. 2026
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These are the brutally real snapshots of a man well acquainted with—but still perplexed by—the powerful and destructive forces that lord over our lives.—
Dash Lewis,
Pitchfork,
4 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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Part of the big event began at the end of last week’s episode, when a stunned NCIS director Leon Vance (Rocky Carroll) tells Parker that NCIS is being shut down.—
Jim Halterman,
Los Angeles Times,
24 Mar. 2026
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The mother of four stunned, wearing a long-sleeved, figure-hugging metallic dress to walk the red carpet at the Oscars after-party.—
Tracy Wright,
FOXNews.com,
18 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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Police noted that the driver of the Hyundai remained at the scene to cooperate with their investigation, and that speed, distracted driving and driving under the influence did not appear to be factors in the collision.—
Dean Fioresi,
CBS News,
29 Mar. 2026
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As long as Woodson isn’t distracted, Wise is fine with it.—
Eric Sondheimer,
Los Angeles Times,
28 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Befuddled.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/befuddled. Accessed 1 Apr. 2026.
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