as in bewildered
suffering from mental confusion
the perennially befuddled professor was always forgetting where she'd left her glasses
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in puzzled
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
Rashi Shrivastava, Forbes.com, 5 Aug. 2025
In the middle stands utterly human Léa, who has the sweetly befuddled air, wild mane, and wide eyes of a young Carol Kane.
—Gal Beckerman, The Atlantic, 1 June 2025
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
When Anthropic secretly added additional weekly usage limits to Claude Code, power users were left befuddled, claiming the company’s calculation of usage was inaccurate.
—Rashi Shrivastava, Forbes.com, 5 Aug. 2025
In the middle stands utterly human Léa, who has the sweetly befuddled air, wild mane, and wide eyes of a young Carol Kane.
—Gal Beckerman, The Atlantic, 1 June 2025
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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The scene where ‘80s teen Marty McFly borrows a scooter from a bewildered ‘50s kid and breaks off the handles to make a skateboard is one of the film’s most iconic moments.—
Charlotte Observer,
Charlotte Observer,
21 Oct. 2025
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Small wonder the performers emerged bewildered.—
Adam Gopnik,
New Yorker,
20 Oct. 2025
Verb
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The statues, which were carved and placed on the South Pacific's Easter Island between the 12th and 17th centuries, have puzzled travelers since the first European contact was made there in 1722.—
Andrea Margolis,
FOXNews.com,
19 Oct. 2025
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As my children both turned toward me, puzzled at my silence, the last three decades unfurled.—
Sofía Pereda,
USA Today,
13 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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Glancing around the standing-room-only party, filled with joyful hugs and happy chatter as guests drank spicy margaritas and nibbled on fries in paper cones printed with quotes from the book, a dazed Brown smiled.—
Hadley Meares,
HollywoodReporter,
24 Oct. 2025
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In one of the film’s least subtle moments, a dazed Bruce is startled to attention.—
Sadie Sartini Garner,
Pitchfork,
24 Oct. 2025
Verb
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This isn’t the first time the value of a thrift store find has left the internet baffled.—
Alice Gibbs,
MSNBC Newsweek,
18 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
Adjective
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Those willing to put in the time (and those who aren't easily wigged out) may find to their confused delight that Tippett is the maddest creative god of them all.—
Chris Snellgrove,
Entertainment Weekly,
24 Oct. 2025
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The Oscar-winning filmmaker makes the viewer as torn and confused and at wit’s end as the people trying to avoid doomsday.—
Brian Truitt,
USA Today,
23 Oct. 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
Adjective
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When the former fed asked him how the script was proceeding, he was met with stunned silence.—
Steve Belanger,
HollywoodReporter,
23 Oct. 2025
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Ashley was so stunned that she could be seen standing still for several seconds while trying to comprehend what was going on.—
Kimberlee Speakman,
PEOPLE,
23 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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Better, but invites distracted glances with every notification.—
Li Goldstein,
Bon Appetit Magazine,
25 Oct. 2025
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Nor can it be ruled out that China, while normally cautious, might instead act decisively against Taiwan at a point of crisis for Kyiv, since the West would likely be more distracted.—
Lyle Goldstein,
Time,
23 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Befuddled.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/befuddled. Accessed 28 Oct. 2025.
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