as in bewildered
suffering from mental confusion
the perennially befuddled professor was always forgetting where she'd left her glasses
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of befuddled
Sarah Larson, New Yorker, 8 Sep. 2025
The show provided a side of the singer few had seen — a bit doddering, sometimes befuddled and the source of the series’ comedy.
—Denise Petski, Deadline, 5 Sep. 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
To my right, a man in a tracksuit looked befuddled.
—Sarah Larson, New Yorker, 8 Sep. 2025
The show provided a side of the singer few had seen — a bit doddering, sometimes befuddled and the source of the series’ comedy.
—Denise Petski, Deadline, 5 Sep. 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
-
Snook and Lacy, who display such sharp instincts in their best work, seem to have been directed to overact; cameras freeze on their exaggeratedly bewildered or angry or devastated expressions, putting exclamation points at the end of too many scenes.—
Judy Berman,
Time,
6 Nov. 2025
-
Instead, a bewildered stranger answers the door.—
Ben Travers,
IndieWire,
6 Nov. 2025
Verb
-
Played for comic relief, he is baffled by this son of his who attends college and, more perplexing yet, is suddenly obsessed with Italy and cycling.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
4 Nov. 2025
-
Physicists were baffled as to why this material would suddenly stop conducting current once the tellurium content reached approximately 30 percent—a change that its basic chemical composition could not explain.—
Aman Tripathi,
Interesting Engineering,
2 Nov. 2025
Adjective
-
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
-
In one of the film’s least subtle moments, a dazed Bruce is startled to attention.—
Sadie Sartini Garner,
Pitchfork,
24 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
The conservative backlash isn’t surprising, but we were still left genuinely puzzled by the unshakable belief that a lesbian nun is as far-fetched a notion as a flying elephant.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
4 Nov. 2025
-
The whole situation puzzled me-the atmosphere even seemed charged with eerie energy.—
Joel M. Vance,
Outdoor Life,
29 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
Prince Harry's hat choice confused fans, who believed the royal should have been rooting for the Toronto Blue Jays due to Canada’s link to the United Kingdom.—
Lauryn Overhultz,
FOXNews.com,
7 Nov. 2025
-
George Catts, the city council’s agricultural commissioner who led the parade atop his horse, was confused.—
Patrick Salland,
Kansas City Star,
7 Nov. 2025
Verb
-
Coaches and talent evaluators, both inside the Raiders’ facility and around the league, have been perplexed by the lack of creativity and production.—
Michael Silver,
New York Times,
3 Nov. 2025
-
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
Adjective
-
The camera pans to show Drake viewing the balance with a stunned look on his face.—
Nancy Dillon,
Rolling Stone,
28 Oct. 2025
-
When the former fed asked him how the script was proceeding, he was met with stunned silence.—
Steve Belanger,
HollywoodReporter,
23 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
The entrepreneur was seemingly distracted and disengaged to the point where Snoop had to call her attention back.—
Essence,
Essence,
4 Nov. 2025
-
Better, but invites distracted glances with every notification.—
Li Goldstein,
Bon Appetit Magazine,
25 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Befuddled.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/befuddled. Accessed 11 Nov. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share