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 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
Alida Becker, New York Times, 30 May 2025
Then Aunt Phoebe joins in the gaslighting, and a befuddled Lydia is ushered away for some dinner.
—Kimberly Roots, TVLine, 13 May 2025
Take a recent episode about cruises, which featured Ben Stiller, Quinta Brunson, and Mulaney’s frequent comedy partner Nick Kroll, along with a befuddled industry expert named Anne Kalosh.
—David Sims, The Atlantic, 7 Apr. 2025
Black co-stars with Day, Dismukes, and Fineman as the befuddled audience members, loudly chiming in from the front row after every line to reply.
—Ben Rosenstock, Vulture, 6 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for befuddled
Adjective
Inspired by the historical figure known as Lambert Simnel, THE PRETENDER (Knopf, 471 pp., $30) is a rollicking account of a befuddled boy’s pillar-to-post existence as a political pawn.
—Alida Becker, New York Times, 30 May 2025
Then Aunt Phoebe joins in the gaslighting, and a befuddled Lydia is ushered away for some dinner.
—Kimberly Roots, TVLine, 13 May 2025
Take a recent episode about cruises, which featured Ben Stiller, Quinta Brunson, and Mulaney’s frequent comedy partner Nick Kroll, along with a befuddled industry expert named Anne Kalosh.
—David Sims, The Atlantic, 7 Apr. 2025
Black co-stars with Day, Dismukes, and Fineman as the befuddled audience members, loudly chiming in from the front row after every line to reply.
—Ben Rosenstock, Vulture, 6 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for befuddled
Recent Examples of Synonyms for befuddled
Adjective
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This run – and the exhausted, bewildered looks on the players’ faces throughout it – has no doubt shaped Inter’s odds to win away to Barcelona, which look pretty close to long shot territory.—
Sam Tighe,
New York Times,
29 Apr. 2025
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In the two years since Tommy Elliott was killed in a mass shooting, Maryanne’s grief has, in turns, left her aghast and overwhelmed, bewildered and incapacitated, grateful and wanting to die.—
Kristina Goetz,
USA Today,
13 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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At some point, Kevin, dazed but not incapacitated, got on the line with a dispatcher.—
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
10 July 2025
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In footage shared by local media, he was seen bloodied, dazed and clutching his mobile phone.—
Diaa Hadid,
NPR,
13 June 2025
Adjective
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Everyone was very confused about whether the watch’s band could be resized because only one kind of wrist was shown in the commercial.—
Seth Reiss,
New Yorker,
10 July 2025
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The home appeared on Zillow Gone Wild, a Facebook page that highlights unique houses on the real estate market, and people were a little confused about the interior style.—
TJ Macias
July 10,
Miami Herald,
10 July 2025
Adjective
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At the time, Twitter’s ad business was in trouble—and Tesla shareholders worried Musk was too distracted from his supposed main gig, running the automaker.—
Preston Fore,
Fortune,
10 July 2025
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Serious traffic crashes and deaths have risen sharply across the U.S., largely due to distracted driving.—
Jade Jackson,
IndyStar,
10 July 2025
Adjective
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Some users have reported feeling dizzy and nauseated from playing VR for too long.—
BestReviews,
Chicago Tribune,
14 July 2025
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Victims may see a bruise or small red mark at the injection site and, if injected with an unknown substance, report blurry vision, nausea, or feeling woozy, dizzy, and even loss of consciousness, according to Spike Aware UK's website.—
Nicole Fallert,
USA Today,
26 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Befuddled.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/befuddled. Accessed 25 Jul. 2025.
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