as in confusion
a state of mental uncertainty
the library patron was in obvious befuddlement over where to find the appropriate references
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Recent Examples of befuddlement
And at that point, ushered into the floating mists of non-consensus with murmurings of political unease regarding content or intellectual befuddlement regarding style, the briefly sighted, singular beast of language vanishes from the visible landscape.
—
Literary Hub, 19 Feb. 2026
Tunnel fits have become so valuable that the teams themselves post them on official social media channels, to the delight (and sometimes befuddlement) of fans.
—Leah Asmelash, CNN Money, 11 Sep. 2025
Literary Hub, 19 Feb. 2026
Tunnel fits have become so valuable that the teams themselves post them on official social media channels, to the delight (and sometimes befuddlement) of fans.
—Leah Asmelash, CNN Money, 11 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for befuddlement
Noun
-
Michelle Sparck, director of Get Out the Native Vote, a nonpartisan voting rights advocacy group affiliated with the Alaska Federation of Natives, worries about creating confusion and fear among voters.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
22 Mar. 2026
-
Other passengers described confusion and disorganization within the lines themselves.—
Jared Eggleston,
CBS News,
22 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Some patchy inland fog was also possible, mainly across the interior and over on the southwestern coast of Florida.—
Lissette Gonzalez,
CBS News,
24 Mar. 2026
-
Where my world was hemmed in by ridgelines and holler roads, Mary Lennox’s world was hemmed in by fog and wind and the low moan of a manor house that seemed to breathe on its own.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
23 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
The look of bewilderment on Jared Bednar’s face was palpable.—
Corey Masisak,
Denver Post,
11 Mar. 2026
-
Jacobson’s Willy is a whirl of insecurity, misplaced self-confidence and bewilderment at how his world has changed around him.—
Christopher Arnott,
Hartford Courant,
10 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Befuddlement.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/befuddlement. Accessed 29 Mar. 2026.
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