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
His bamboozlement, nay, his flabbergastery, NAY, his befuddlement are entirely justified.
—
Madeline Coleman,
New York Times,
9 June 2026
Clueless to the format of the (very real) interview show (answering questions while eating ever-increasing spicy hot wings), Cherish’s exasperation, befuddlement, and visceral agony is a comic wonder to watch.
—
Jennifer Silverman,
Rolling Stone,
29 Mar. 2026
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
Madeline Coleman,
New York Times,
9 June 2026
Clueless to the format of the (very real) interview show (answering questions while eating ever-increasing spicy hot wings), Cherish’s exasperation, befuddlement, and visceral agony is a comic wonder to watch.
—
Jennifer Silverman,
Rolling Stone,
29 Mar. 2026
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for befuddlement
Noun
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Washington Examiner columnist Guy Benson said former President Joe Biden’s moment of confusion at the Obama Presidential Center’s dedication ceremony doesn’t paint a good image for Democrats.
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Some confusion remained Saturday as to the terms of the settlement with the state, how close the parties are to that settlement and how much of the city’s street art would be removed under that agreement.
Noun
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In other words, entire sections of coastline turned into shifting underwater fog banks.
-
Sunglasses can fog, slide down, collect sweat or slightly change how the ball looks.
Noun
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Uncertainty across the region The news of peace came with a sense of bewilderment and uncertainty in a region that suffered collateral damage through months of war.
-
Many of these terms were meant as insults and were – and remain today – tremendously rude, but others reflect the bewilderment of trying to categorize people who don’t fit into standard categories easily.
Cite this Entry
“Befuddlement.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/befuddlement. Accessed 26 Jun. 2026.
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