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
Christina Coulter, Fox News, 28 Nov. 2024
My friends were confused by my abrupt stop and the frightened and befuddled look on my face — except for one, whose eyes were also bulging wide.
—Thomas Wheatley, Axios, 31 Oct. 2024
After intermission, Davis becomes Poirot, while Hendrickson takes on the role of somewhat befuddled wingman in Arthur Hastings.
—Rob Hubbard, Twin Cities, 13 Oct. 2024
The book is filled with humor, canny allusion, beauty, and a profundity born of glimpsing fleeting human lives from the outside—through eyes that have seen epochs yet nonetheless remain befuddled.
—The New Yorker, 30 Sep. 2024
See All Example Sentences for befuddled
Adjective
The animals are found in unnatural positions and drained entirely of blood by befuddled ranchers in Minnesota, Colorado, Nebraska, Iowa, Kansas, Oregon and elsewhere.
Sgt.
—Christina Coulter, Fox News, 28 Nov. 2024
My friends were confused by my abrupt stop and the frightened and befuddled look on my face — except for one, whose eyes were also bulging wide.
—Thomas Wheatley, Axios, 31 Oct. 2024
After intermission, Davis becomes Poirot, while Hendrickson takes on the role of somewhat befuddled wingman in Arthur Hastings.
—Rob Hubbard, Twin Cities, 13 Oct. 2024
The book is filled with humor, canny allusion, beauty, and a profundity born of glimpsing fleeting human lives from the outside—through eyes that have seen epochs yet nonetheless remain befuddled.
—The New Yorker, 30 Sep. 2024
See All Example Sentences for befuddled
Recent Examples of Synonyms for befuddled
Adjective
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Apart from the odd bewildered tourist or local going about their day, the vast majority of people in the carriage were heading to what most regarded as a ‘must-win’ match at home to Everton and the vibe, like the team’s results in 2025, was mixed.—
Simon Johnson,
New York Times,
28 Apr. 2025
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Every lap felt like a mind-numbing carousel ride through car exhaust and past bewildered pedestrians, while inhaling burrito-scented air.—
Marley Dickinson,
Outside Online,
17 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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The feeling in the crowd was a kind of dazed submission.—
Amanda Petrusich,
New Yorker,
14 Apr. 2025
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While fielding applause at her Symphony Center show on Friday, harpist Brandee Younger made a dazed confession.—
Hannah Edgar,
Chicago Tribune,
5 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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If readers are confused, consider yet again that Instagram could claim all of 30 million users when its acquisition was announced.—
John Tamny,
Forbes.com,
16 Apr. 2025
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Those who lost their Medicaid health care reported being unaware or confused about how to report work hours.—
Phil Galewitz,
NPR,
15 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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Even internal morale can take a hit when leadership appears distracted or unstable.—
David Centeno,
Forbes.com,
24 Apr. 2025
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June fills in her friend on Mayday's plan to come back, kill the distracted commanders, and free all the girls.—
Matt Cabral,
EW.com,
22 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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Several staff members at a Broward County school complained of being light-headed and dizzy after a student was found with a bag of pills on campus Wednesday, Miramar police said.—
David Goodhue,
Miami Herald,
2 Apr. 2025
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Arielle appears to have repeatedly expressed her unease with the hike, including the steep height and feeling dizzy after taking a photo on a tree.—
Samira Asma-Sadeque,
People.com,
1 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Befuddled.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/befuddled. Accessed 2 May. 2025.
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