as in perplexing
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as in baffling
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
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Recent Examples of befuddling
Matthew Schmidt, MSNBC Newsweek, 3 Sep. 2025
Jacob Whitehead, New York Times, 2 Nov. 2025
After allowing a first-inning run, Gausman retired 17 straight Los Angeles Dodgers hitters, befuddling one of the most talented lineups in the history of the sport.
—Jackson Roberts, MSNBC Newsweek, 26 Oct. 2025
Adjective
That's why makes Seattle's decision to part ways with Martinez that much more befuddling.
—Matthew Schmidt, MSNBC Newsweek, 3 Sep. 2025
Verb
Back then, Newcastle’s thin squad staggered between results, lurching from challenging the best sides in the league to befuddling losses to inferior squads.
—Jacob Whitehead, New York Times, 2 Nov. 2025
After allowing a first-inning run, Gausman retired 17 straight Los Angeles Dodgers hitters, befuddling one of the most talented lineups in the history of the sport.
—Jackson Roberts, MSNBC Newsweek, 26 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for befuddling
Adjective
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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
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The sheriff’s office was called, and initially the deaths were deemed suspicious, though the situation seemed more perplexing than criminal.—
Joy Williams,
Harpers Magazine,
24 Oct. 2025
Verb
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One morning, members of the Fort Greely missile defense base spot an ICBM of unknown origin on a suborbital trajectory heading straight for Chicago, baffling the country’s top intelligence and defense teams who only have 18 minutes to respond before impact.—
Jake Kring-Schreifels,
Time,
27 Oct. 2025
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But there were strengths here, too, none more than England’s impervious Lazarus complex, that baffling inability to know when one is in a state of emergency.—
Megan Feringa,
New York Times,
26 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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What is the most confounding and terrible, however, is Gretchen’s assertion that Slade, the anti-Viagra, doesn’t get involved with the women on his own accord, but only engages because the women always talk about him.—
Brian Moylan,
Vulture,
10 Oct. 2025
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The offense’s struggles are the most confounding.—
Zach Berman,
New York Times,
10 Oct. 2025
Verb
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The panic around him, frankly, has been puzzling.—
Alec Lewis,
New York Times,
1 Nov. 2025
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While Tesla's Mad Max Mode isn't designed to be outright dangerous, its reintroduction following its original 2018 release is puzzling because of scrutiny on the brand's true semi-autonomous driving capabilities.—
Charles Singh,
USA Today,
30 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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Outside of safety concerns, a toy intended for an older child can be frustrating and confusing to younger children.—
Anja Webb,
Parents,
6 Nov. 2025
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Without that administrative approval, Medicare patients — and their doctors — have been left in a very complicated and confusing limbo.—
Yuki Noguchi,
NPR,
6 Nov. 2025
Verb
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And aren’t our real-life romantic complications bewildering enough?—
Stephanie Zacharek,
Time,
4 Sep. 2025
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Its ginormous investments in higher-value, tech-heavy sectors from smartphones to autos to semiconductors to biotechnology are disrupting the global landscape at bewildering speed.—
William Pesek,
Forbes.com,
27 Aug. 2025
Adjective
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On top of this dismaying thought comes the realization that the AI is available 24x7 and at a low cost or perhaps even free.—
Lance Eliot,
Forbes.com,
19 Sep. 2025
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But the drum sound wasn’t nearly as dismaying as the studio’s piano, which kept slipping out of tune.—
Peter Ames Carlin,
Rolling Stone,
13 Aug. 2025
Adjective
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The Land of Spooks is a phantasmagorical blend of twisting gothic spires, impossible land formations, and disconcerting expressionist proportions.—
Kambole Campbell,
IndieWire,
4 Nov. 2025
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The findings are deeply disconcerting.—
Stephanie Silverman,
Fortune,
28 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Befuddling.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/befuddling. Accessed 9 Nov. 2025.
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